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Alabama Department of Labor

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IMPORTANT NEWS ABOUT HIGH EXTENDED BENEFITS (HEB)

September 12, 2012

NEWS ABOUT FEDERAL EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION (EUC08)

Legislation to extend the ending date of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) program was approved and signed into law in February 2012. The following changes are in effect for the EUC08 program.
  • Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits are available for weeks of unemployment ending on or before January 2, 2013. This means that the last payable week of EUC benefits in most states will be the week ending December 29, 2012.
  • There will be no “phase-out” period for EUC payments. All EUC payments will cease when the program ends.

PLEASE NOTE: There were no additional tiers of EUC added in the most recent legislation. Individuals who have already been paid all EUC and HEB funds were given no additional benefits.

NEW Work Search and Reemployment Activities Requirements

  • All individuals receiving Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits must be able and available for and actively seeking work each week. A record of job search contacts must be completed and maintained each week by the individual. The Alabama Department of Labor will mail a form to each person claiming EUC08 benefits. Random audits will be conducted to verify that EUC08 recipients are appropriately seeking work and work search records will be reviewed for compliance with regulations.
  • All EUC08 claimants will be required to attend in person a scheduled Eligibility Assessment and Reemployment Activity when initially filing for EUC08 Tier 1 benefits or after qualifying for EUC08 Tier 2 benefits. Failure to participate in the reemployment activities will result in loss of benefits.

Changes in maximum benefit amounts for individual tiers of EUC08

  • Tier 1: Changes for Tier 1 EUC08 were effective September 2, 2012. New applications for EUC08 filed effective September 2, 2012 or later will be computed at the lesser of the amount that is 14 weeks times the weekly benefit amount or 54% of the regular UC maximum benefit amount.
  • Tier 3: Changes for Tier 3 EUC08 were effective September 2, 2012. New applications for Tier 3 EUC08 filed effective September 2, 2012 or later will be computed at the lesser of the amount that is 9 weeks times the weekly benefit amount or 35% of the regular UC maximum benefit amount.
  • Tier 4: Legislative changes are not applicable in Alabama since the state’s unemployment rate has decreased to the point where Alabama has triggered off Tier 4 EUC08. The last week to establish eligibility for Tier 4 benefits was the week ending April 7, 2012.