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Emergency Unemployment Compensation

On June 30, 2008, the President signed Public Law 110-252 creating the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program. This law originally provided for EUC of up to 13 weeks to unemployed workers who exhausted their regular unemployment insurance benefits.

The extension was EFFECTIVE July 6, 2008, and is referred to as EUC Tier I. The first week that can be paid under the EUC program is the week ending July 12, 2008.

On November 21, 2008 the President signed PL 110-449 ( HR 6867), that provides up to an additional seven-week extension of EUC Tier I, bringing the possible total EUC Tier I benefits up to 20 weeks. The law also created EUC Tier II which provides up to 13 weeks of benefits for individuals that exhaust their EUC Tier I benefits if the state Insured Unemployment rate is 4% or higher.

Effective January 25, 2009, EUC Tier II benefits became available for claimants that have exhausted their entitlement to EUC Tier I benefits.

On November 6, 2009 the President signed the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 that provides up to one additional week of EUC Tier II benefits, up to 13 weeks of EUC Tier III benefits for states that have a total unemployment rate of 6% or higher or an insured unemployment rate of 4% or higher. In addition, the EUC II unemployment rate triggers mentioned above have been eliminated. Arkansas is in a Tier III period effective the week ending November 14, 2009. All individuals that are potentially eligible for these new Tier II and Tier III benefits will be notified by DWS.

EUC Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III claims that are established and have benefit amounts remaining on or before the week ending December 26, 2009 may continue to be paid through the week ending June 5, 2010. EUC Tier I claims cannot be established after the week ending December 26, 2009. EUC Tier II claims may only be established after the week ending December 26, 2009, if the EUC Tier I claim is exhausted on or before the week ending December 26, 2009. EUC Tier III claims may only be established after the week ending December 26, 2009, if the Tier II claim is exhausted on or before the week ending December 26, 2009. No payment for any type of EUC can be made for weeks after June 5, 2010.

QUALIFICATIONS

To be eligible for EUC the claimant must:

Have Base Period Wages:
1. equal to 40 times the weekly benefit amount, or
2. 1.5 times the high quarter wages, or
3. 20 weeks of full time work
have had a claim for regular benefits that ended after May 1, 2007, or
have exhausted all available benefits from a claim that ended after May 1, 2007, and
have no rights to regular or extended compensation under any other state or federal unemployment compensation law, and
have not received compensation with respect to such week under the unemployment compensation law of Canada.

Notices will be mailed to individuals that meet the above criteria and are potentially eligible for EUC benefits to the last address on file.

BENEFIT AMOUNT

For claimants who meet the above qualifications:

From week ending July 12, 2008 through November 22, 2008 the weekly benefit amount of EUC will be equal to the amount received on the regular claim that the extension is based upon.
The amount in the EUC account will be the lesser of:

50 percent of the total amount of the regular claim, or
13 times the individual's weekly benefit amount for the benefit year.

From weekending November 29, 2008 the weekly benefit amount of EUC Tier I will be equal to the amount received on the regular claim that the extension is based upon.
The amount in the EUC Tier I account will be the lesser of:

80 percent of the total amount of the regular claim, or
20 times the individual's weekly benefit amount for the benefit year.

The amount in the EUC Tier II account will be the lesser of:
- 54 percent of the total amount of the regular claim, or
- 14 times the individual's WBA for the benefit year.
The amount in the EUC Tier III account will be the lesser of:
- 50 percent of the total amount of the regular claim, or
- 13 times the individual's WBA for the benefit year.

CLAIMANTS CURRENTLY RECEIVING TRADE ACT/TRAINING ASSISTANCE BENEFITS

EUC supersedes all other types of supplemental benefits. For claimants who are eligible for EUC and are currently receiving benefits under the Trade Act/Training Assistance programs, you will be taken off those benefits and put on the EUC claim. You will continue on the EUC claim until you have received all benefits on that extension or the sunset date, whichever comes first. If you still qualify for the Trade Act/Training Assistance claim once the EUC benefits have exhausted or the sunset date is reached, you could return to the Trade Act/Training Assistance claim.

FUNDING

EUC benefits are entirely federally funded. Therefore, an employer's reserve account will not be charged for any benefits paid to claimants under the EUC program.

HOW TO FILE

Claimants will be notified how to file for EUC I, EUC II, and EUC III as they become eligible.

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