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UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION HOT TOPICS
November 13, 2009
Check Your Potential Eligibility for the New Unemployment Benefits Extension
The Agency for Workforce Innovation has launched a feature on its Web site where customers may check to see if they are potentially eligible for benefits under the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) Tier III program, signed into law by President Obama on November 6, 2009. Customers will be asked to enter their Social Security number and PIN to determine if they are potentially eligible.The feature may be accessed from our homepage (www.floridajobs.org) or by clicking www.floridajobs.org/unemployment/EUC_09/index.html.
As always, if you have any questions about your current claim, please call our hotline at 800-204-2418 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday- Friday or 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays.
November 6, 2009
President Signs Bill
On Friday, November 6, President Obama signed the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 into law. The new law provides additional weeks of Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) for thousands of Floridians who have exhausted all benefits or will by the end of the year.Our top priority is paying our eligible customers as quickly as possible and we will begin making payments within 4 to 6 weeks. We will post regular updates to our Web site and expand call center coverage to assist customers. Some customers will automatically be eligible for the extension; those who need to file applications will receive instructions.
November 5, 2009 – UPDATED 3:00 p.m.
Legislation Headed to White House
On Thursday, November 5, 2009, the U.S. House concurred with legislation passed by the U.S. Senate to extend emergency unemployment benefits by up to 20 weeks for eligible Floridians. The bill (H.R. 3548) now moves to the White House for the president to consider.
November 5, 2009
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Passes U.S. Senate
One Step Closer to Becoming Law
On Wednesday, November 4, 2009, the proposal to extend emergency unemployment benefits by up to 20 weeks for eligible Floridians passed the U.S. Senate.The proposal must pass through additional steps before eligible Floridians could receive their payments. Congress must agree on the bill and President Obama must sign it into law before the U.S. Department of Labor (US DOL) can direct states on how to distribute the additional funds.
We at the Agency for Workforce Innovation are following the issue very closely and preparing for timely distribution of benefits once it becomes law.
When the agency receives guidelines from US DOL, all customers who are potentially eligible will receive notification in the mail; those who need to file applications will receive instructions. Customers who have already exhausted their benefits should not file an application for additional benefits until this law takes effect.
We will provide additional information as it becomes available. For more information on the federal legislation and senate vote, please visit http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00334.
October 28, 2009
Pending Legislation – Emergency Unemployment Compensation
The U.S. Congress is considering legislation (H.R. 3548) that would provide additional Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits to eligible unemployed workers who have exhausted all benefits or will by the end of the year.The proposal to extend emergency unemployment benefits up to 13 weeks in Florida moved one step closer to approval last night after the U.S. Senate voted to limit debate and consider the bill for a vote. There are several stages the proposal must pass through before eligible Floridians receive their payments. It must be agreed on by the U.S. Congress and signed by the President before the U.S. Department of Labor can direct states on how to distribute the additional funds. We are following the issue very closely and preparing for timely distribution of benefits once the legislation is approved.
For additional information, please see the more detailed explanation below. We will post updated information on this Web site as it becomes available.
H.R. 3548 - Emergency Unemployment Compensation
The version of the bill which passed the U.S. House creates another extension of Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits of up to 13 weeks in states with an unemployment rate of at least 8.5 percent. Florida would qualify because the current unemployment rate is 11.0 percent.
An amended version is now pending in the U.S. Senate, following a vote last night to limit debate. The full bill could be heard in the Senate as early as today.
If the amended bill passes the Senate, the House could then pass the amended version or the House and the Senate will appoint members to work out the differences in “conference”. After the “conferees” have come to an agreement, both chambers would have to adopt and pass the conference report. The conference report would then be sent to the President to be signed it into law.
The legislation would not provide EUC benefits for any week of unemployment occurring before the law takes effect. The legislation also does not extend the current deadline for establishing EUC eligibility beyond the end of 2009.
If the President signs the bill, the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) will issue guidelines on how to implement the program.
The Agency for Workforce Innovation (AWI) is monitoring this legislation very closely and planning for implementation should the law pass. AWI will begin programming our systems once we receive federal guidance and distribute these benefits as quickly as possible.
All customers who are potentially eligible will receive notification in the mail; those who need to file applications will receive instructions. Customers who have already exhausted their benefits should not file an application for additional benefits until this law takes effect.
We appreciate your patience and will provide additional information as it becomes available.
Summary:
- The U.S. Congress is currently working on a potential extension.
- The extension has not yet become law.
- People potentially eligible for additional benefits (having exhausted all entitlement to regular, EUC Tier I, EUC Tier II and Extended Benefits (EB)) will be mailed a notification on how to apply for the additional benefits.
- Under the proposal being considered by the U.S. Senate, EUC Tier II claims would be redetermined to provide one week of additional eligibility for people currently receiving Tier II, those who have already exhausted Tier II, and those who are now receiving or have exhausted EB.
- Once the additional week has been paid, EUC Tier III will automatically be established for people in continuous reporting status.
- People not currently claiming benefits will need to file an initial claim application to be considered for the additional benefits.
October 7, 2009
Financial Aid for Job Training and Education
The Agency for Workforce Innovation is notifying unemployment compensation customers via mail about recently-expanded opportunities to receive federal or state financial aid for job training and education (read the letter here). Under new federal guidelines, workers who are receiving unemployment compensation benefits will receive special consideration for financial aid, and may also be able to continue receiving unemployment compensation benefits while enrolled in training or school.
If enrollment in a training or education program affects a customer's being able and available for work, the Agency will determine whether unemployment benefits will continue to be paid. This verification process may result in a brief delay of payments.
For more information about these and other education and training opportunities go to: www.floridajobs.org/pell or call 1-800-4FEDAID (1-800-433-3243).
September 28, 2009
Unemployment Compensation Hotline Extends Hours
The Unemployment Compensation Program is extending call center hours of operation. Customers with questions regarding the unemployment compensation program or questions about individual claims may now call 1-800-204-2418 between the hours of 6:30 am – 8:30 pm Monday through Friday. Customers who need to file a claim should still call between the hours of 7:30 am – 7:00 pm Monday through Friday. The call center will also continue to take both questions and claims on Saturdays from 8 am – 4 pm.
August 31, 2009
Federal Advances to Trust Fund Will Not Impact Benefits
The State began receiving advances to pay unemployment compensation benefits on August 24, 2009.
Most importantly, this process will have no impact on our unemployment compensation customers. Eligible customers will continue to receive their benefits in the manner in which they were previously received.
To date, 20 states including Florida have requested advances. The Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund will continue to be replenished using federal dollars on an ongoing basis until the Fund regains solvency.
August 28, 2009
Work Search Requirements
All Unemployment Compensation programs require a systematic and sustained effort to search for suitable work. The Extended Benefits (EB) program is different in that federal law requires beneficiaries to submit tangible evidence of their search efforts for each week that they claim benefits.
A random review of the work search efforts of beneficiaries will be conducted to ensure the requirements of the EB laws are being met. This review will in no way affect or delay the payment of EB benefits.
August 4, 2009
AWI Receives Grant to Help Unemployed Floridians Find Jobs
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced Florida as one of 25 states to receive a share of $26.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grants for the Re-employment and Eligibility Assessment (REA) Initiative. Florida will receive $3,078,796 to provide unemployment compensation beneficiaries with additional assistance in finding jobs. For more information, please visit: http://www.floridajobs.org/publications/news_rel/AWIReceivesGrant080409.htm