Pennsylvania (Pa) Unemployment Compensation UC Benefits Extension

pennsylvania-pa-unemployment-compensation-uc-benefits-extensionPennsylvania (Pa) Unemployment website is www.dli.state.pa.us. Pa unemployment compensation UC benefits extension information is below.

On Nov. 6, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law, an extension of EUC benefits. If you are a current EUC claimant, or your EUC and EB benefits have run out, the department will directly notify you with information concerning your eligibility and how to apply for them. If you are currently collecting EB benefits, you should continue to file for EB until you receive further instructions from the department. We encourage you to wait to receive your notification before calling your UC Service Center about the extension of EUC benefits.
Fact Sheet: Expanded EUC Benefits

Background: Regular PA unemployment compensation (UC) benefits provides up to 26 weeks of benefits for unemployed workers, based on their earnings prior to becoming unemployed.

Emergency Unemployment Compensation Tier I provides up to 20 weeks of federally-funded unemployment benefits for unemployed workers who exhaust their regular state UC benefits and are not eligible for a new regular state UC claim. The first week for which Tier 1 EUC was payable was the week ending July 12, 2008.

EUC Tier II provides up to 13 weeks of federally funded unemployment benefits after a person exhausts their EUC Tier I benefits and are not eligible for a new regular state UC claim. The first week for which Tier 2 EUC was payable was the week ending January 24, 2009.

State Extended Benefits (EB) triggered on in February 2009 and provides up to 13 weeks of federally funded benefits after a person exhausts EUC Tier II.

High Unemployment Period Extended Benefits (HUP EB) triggered on in August 2009 and provided up to 7 weeks of federally funded benefits after a person exhausts regular state EB.

Both EUC Tier 1 and EUC Tier 2 benefits begin phasing out by December 31, 2009. The last payable week of EUC is the week ending June 5, 2010.

Changes Made to EUC Benefits – 11/6/09: On 11/6/09, the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-92) was enacted into federal law. The following information explains how this law expanded benefits currently available under the EUC, effective with the week ending November 14, 2009.

Tier I EUC: The maximum amount of Tier 1 EUC benefits available to claimants does not change. Claimants who exhaust their 26-week regular UC entitlement may continue qualify for a maximum of 20 weeks of Tier 1 EUC.

Increased Tier II EUC: The maximum Tier 2 EUC benefits for all EUC claimants increases by up to one more week. Claimants who exhaust their 20-week Tier 1 EUC benefits may now qualify for 1 more week of Tier 2 benefits, for a new total of 14 weeks of Tier 2 EUC. The new law allows states to pay the additional week of Tier 2 after the payment of Tier 3 benefits.

New Tier III EUC: A new Tier of EUC benefits, EUC Tier 3, is now available. Claimants who exhaust their Tier 2 EUC benefits and claimants who exhaust their state EB benefits may now qualify for up to 13 weeks of EUC Tier 3 benefits.

Continued Payment of EB to Claimants: As permitted under new EUC Law, PA will continue to pay EB and HUP EB, if in effect, to current EB claimants before any new expanded EUC benefits . When such claimants exhaust all EB and HUP EB, they will qualify to file for EUC Tier 3 benefits.

Trade Readjustment Act Claimants: If current TRA claimants qualify for more EUC benefits, their remaining TRA entitlement must be suspended until they have exhausted all such available new entitlement.

EUC Program Phase-out: EUC Tiers I-III have an expiration date. As of now, all EUC benefits are due to expire 12-31-2009. If you are already collecting EUC benefits that week, you may continue collecting the weeks for which you are entitled under that current Tier. You will be unable to begin the next EUC Tier after that week – the week of expiration. You may apply for EB, if payment under the EB program is still available.

Claimants that have a new regular UC claim for benefits effective on or after 6-14-09 that are eligible for 26 weeks or claimants with a 16 week claim effective on or after 8-23-09, may not qualify for EUC benefits under the current phase out provisions.

Regular EB is payable while PA remains in an EB Period. However, the last payable week of HUP EB is the week ending January 2, 2010. After that date, only regular EB may be payable if PA remains in an EB Period under the requirements the PA UC Law.

Who is Eligible for the New EUC Extension and How Will They Be Notified?

Those who exhaust their Extended Benefits (EB) in 2009, may qualify for the EUC extension.

Approximately 35,000 unemployed workers who have exhausted all their unemployment benefits may potentially qualify for the new EUC extension.

If you have exhausted all benefits, you will receive a letter in the mail with information and instructions about the new EUC benefits and when to claim the benefit payments.

If you are a claimant who exhausted all HUP EB before claim week ending (CWE) November 7, 2009 and worked in Pennsylvania, another state, for the federal government, or in Canada at any time since the last week you claimed benefits, YOU MUST CALL the UC Service Center at 1-888-313-7284 and provide this information to a Service Center representative BEFORE you resume filing for any further benefits.

If you are currently collecting state unemployment, EUC Tier I or Tier II, EB or HUP EB; continue to claim those benefits. You will receive instructions as you exhaust those benefits.

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  • Jay
    My Tier 1 extended benefits will exhaust on January 24th 2010. Somehow, I may not be eligable for Tier 2 extended benefits because of the December 31 deadline. Some people have been recieving benefits way before me and will still continue collecting benefits way after me. This is a joke. I'll be out on the streets with no job after collecting 46 weeks of unemployment while many others get up to 99 weeks of unemployment. I can not make any sense out of this.
  • chrisniz
    Jay, I feel for you. The only difference between you and I is that my 26 weeks of REGULAR UC is exhausted on January 2, 2010, whereas there will not be any new claim accounts for EUC issued after December 19, 2009. In other words, everyone who got laid-off three weeks before me are entitled to up to 33 weeks of extended benefits ON TOP OF their original 26 weeks of regular UC. I, on the other hand, get NOTHING after my regular UC is exhausted. Trust me, Jay, you aren't alone.
  • gary
    bull u mean my tier runs out in jan i dnt qualify thats not fair so people that collected for 2 years can requalify and i cant what a bunch of bull
  • james
    exactly. i know people who have been collecting since '07, and will continue to collect after my tier 1 runs out in Feb 2010. what makes anybody think that in PA, there will be jobs available this time of year? i know for a fact, other than temp holiday jobs, Nov thru March is the absolute WORST time in this area to find a job. most companies do their seasonal layoffs this time of year. come'on congress!
  • Brandon
    It appears im in the same boat. Jobs are harder to find now and my tier 2 ends in march and they say that i may not qualify for tier 3, while my sister has been receiving since june of 2008 and continues to do so. I called the office and they say you cant compare because everybody is different. Doesn't sound right to me.
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