Agreement Reached Between New Jersey And United States Department Of Labor To Provide Extended Unemployment Compensation Benefits

On June 30, 2008, the State of New Jersey and the United States Department of Labor reached an agreement to provide federally-funded Extended Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits for up to 13 additional weeks. Individuals who filed claims dated May 7, 2006 or later, who exhausted their regular state unemployment insurance benefits, and who are still unemployed and looking for work may be eligible for these extended benefits.  Such individuals will be notified by mail at their address of record and will be able to file for benefits by completing and mailing the application that will be enclosed with the notice. 

Eligibility for the additional federally funded benefits is based upon the following conditions:

• The employee is unemployed or working part-time as of or after July 6, 2008;
• The employee is not eligible for a new regular unemployment insurance claim;
• The employee filed a new unemployment insurance claim dated May 7, 2006, or later;
• The employee exhausted his or her unemployment insurance benefits or the benefit year on his or her claim has expired; and
• The employee’s claim is based on 20 base weeks, or the employee had earnings of at least 40 times the weekly benefit rate in his or her base year.

An employee who meets the eligibility criteria for EUC benefits may be eligible for a maximum benefit amount of 13 times the weekly benefit rate on his or her regular unemployment claim, or 50% of the maximum benefit amount on that claim, whichever amount is less.

Note: This article was published in the August 2008 issue of the New Jersey eAuthority.