More than a million Americans who are out of work will lose their financial support after an emergency programme designed to help them through the recession expired over the weekend.

Introduced in 2008 by then-President George W Bush, the plan provided jobless people with an average support package of $1,166 for up to 73 weeks but the Government failed to agree on an extension of the scheme before the winter recess, with Republicans averse to the hefty price tag.

President Barack Obama has said that he will push Congress to act promptly in renewing the scheme once the winter recess is over.