Video:Extended Unemployment Benefits

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Transcript:Extended Unemployment Benefits

Basics of Unemployment Benefits and Extended Benefits

Unemployment insurance is compensation provided to workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own. Unemployment provides compensation for a specific period of time or until the worker finds a new job. Regular unemployment provides benefits for up to 26 weeks, based on the weeks you have worked in your claim year. Extended unemployment benefits, which provide unemployment compensation for a longer period of time, are available to workers who have exhausted regular state unemployment insurance benefits during periods of high unemployment. In addition, there may be additional benefits funding by the federal government, including Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits.

Extended Unemployment Benefits Tiers

The extended benefits you are eligible for depend on the state you live in and the date you became unemployed. There are several extended unemployment benefit tiers: Tier 1 – provides benefits up to 20 weeks; Tier 2 – provides 14 weeks benefits; Tier 3 – provides 13 additional weeks of benefits in states where the total unemployment rate is 6% or higher. Under Tier 4 - 6, additional weeks of benefits are provided in states where the total unemployment rate is 8.5% or higher. Extended Benefits (or EB) Program: The Extended Benefits Program provides an additional 13 to 20 weeks of benefits to workers receiving unemployment insurance in states that have a specific unemployment rate.

Example of How Extended Benefits Work

As an example, depending on the unemployment rate and the extended benefit programs in place, in New York, unemployed workers may be eligible for 26 weeks of state unemployment, 53 weeks of Emergency Unemployment Compensation (or EUC) emergency benefits, and 20 weeks of Extended Benefits (EB) extended benefits. Collecting Extended Benefits: All extended unemployment benefits are paid through the state unemployment system. So, check with your state unemployment office for information on what benefits you are eligible for and how and when you will receive payments.

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