Unemployment Insurance Extended Benefits

This information was taken by me from edd.ca.gov

My hubby also tried to research about this as he already used up his first extension benefit.

Federal legislation enacted in July provided up to 13 weeks of extended benefits for workers who exhausted their regular UI benefits in California and across the country. The new legislation adds up to seven weeks to the earlier extension, a total of up to 20 weeks of extended benefits. The new legislation also includes an additional extension of up to 13 weeks for high unemployment states. Workers in those states will be eligible for a total of up to 33 weeks of extended benefits.

If you are affected by the additional extended benefit weeks or the second extension, the EDD will notify you by mail.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE FIRST EXTENSION

The first extension can be filed on or after July 6, 2008. You may be potentially eligible for the first extension if you:

• Are fully or partially unemployed on or after July 6, 2008,
• Have exhausted their entitlement to a regular UI claim,
• Are not qualified to file a new regular claim,
• Have had a valid claim that began on or after May 7, 2006, AND
• Meet all eligibility criteria.

If you already have an extended benefit claim, refer to the “WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE SECOND EXTENSION” section below for more information.

HOW TO FILE

To find out if you are eligible for the first or second extended unemployment claim you may apply online or call one of the telephone numbers listed below. The EDD anticipates high call volumes so you are encouraged to apply online.

• English: 1-800-300-5616
• Spanish: 1-800-326-8937
• Cantonese: 1-800-547-3506
• Mandarin: 1-866-303-0706
• Vietnamese: 1-800-547-2058
• TTY: (NON VOICE): 1-800-815-9387

BENEFIT AMOUNT OF FIRST EXTENSION

If you are eligible for the first extension:

• Your weekly benefit amount will be the same as your regular claim; 
  
  AND
• A maximum benefit amount will be the lesser of:
  • 80 percent of the maximum benefit amount of the regular claim, 
    
    OR
  • 20 times the weekly benefit amount of the regular claim.

Example: If the weekly benefit amount on the regular claim is $180, for 22 weeks, totaling the maximum benefit amount of $3960 (180 x 22), each extension claim would have:

• A weekly benefit amount of $180 (the same as the regular claim).
• A maximum benefit amount of $3168 (17.6 x $180, or 80 percent of your maximum benefit amount on your regular claim).

SECOND EXTENSION

Once you have collected all extended benefits on your first extension claim, you will be eligible to file a second extension claim. The Department will automatically file the second extension and send you additional continued claim forms. No action is required on your part.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE SECOND EXTENSION

You may be eligible for a second extension if you:

• Were eligible for the first extension,
• Have no benefits remaining on the first extension,
• Are not qualified to file a new regular claim, AND
• Meet all eligibility criteria.

BENEFIT AMOUNT OF SECOND EXTENSION

If you are eligible for the second extension:

• Your weekly benefit amount will be the same as your regular claim; 
  
  AND
• A maximum benefit amount will be the lesser of:
  • 50 percent (half) of the maximum benefit amount on your regular claim, 
    
    OR
  • 13 times the weekly benefit amount of the regular claim.

Example: If the weekly benefit amount on the regular claim is $180, for 22 weeks, totaling the maximum benefit amount of $3960 (180 x 22), each additional extension claim would have:

• A weekly benefit amount of $180 (same as the regular claim)
• A maximum benefit amount of $1980 (11 x $180, or 50 percent (half) of the maximum benefit amount on your regular claim).

HOW THIS COULD AFFECT INDIVIDUALS CURRENTLY RECEIVING CALIFORNIA TRAINING BENEFITS (CTB), TRADE ACT ASSISTANCE (TAA), OR DISASTER UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE (DUA) EXTENSIONS

If you are currently receiving California Training Benefits (CTB), Trade Act Assistance (TAA), or Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) extended benefits and you are eligible for federal extended benefits, you will be switched over to collect federal extended benefits.

If you are eligible to collect on any federal extended benefit claim, you must collect those benefits until they are gone or until the extension has ended. Once you have collected all benefits or your extended benefits have ended, you may be eligible to return to the CTB, TAA, or DUA extensions.

FUNDING

Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) extended benefits are entirely federally funded from the Extended Unemployment Compensation Account, which means employers’ reserve accounts will not be charged for any EUC extended benefits paid to claimants.