Extended Benefits
Starting Monday, October 10, 2011, New York may provide up to 93 weeks of UI benefits (26 weeks of regular UI + a maximum of 67 weeks of additional federal benefits). The 67 weeks of additional benefits are in two programs. These programs are:
- Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) - Up to 47 weeks of benefits
- Extended Benefits (EB) - Up to 20 weeks of benefits (Benefits under EB are available ONLY when the Total Unemployment Rate meets required levels.)
The UI Extension Bill of 12/23/11 extends the date by which you can start claiming additional UI benefits to March 4, 2012. You can claim these benefits the usual way. Do not file a new claim unless we tell you to do so.
| If you... | Then you can... |
|---|---|
| Exhaust 26 weeks of regular UI benefits by 2/26/2012 | Collect EUC as long as you begin claiming EUC by 03/04/2012 |
| Exhaust your current tier of EUC by 03/04/2012 | Move to the next tier |
| Exhaust all available EUC | Collect EB until 3/11/2012 |
The two programs have different timeframes and deadlines. Not all claimants qualify for 47 weeks of EUC and 20 weeks of EB. Read on for details and key dates. Also see the breakdown of additional benefits chart.
EUC offers 47 weeks of benefits, in 3 tiers:
Tier 1 (20 weeks) - to qualify, you must:
- Have filed initial claim for regular unemployment by 8/22/2011
- Exhaust 26 weeks of regular benefits by 2/26/2012
- Start claiming EUC by 3/4/2012
If you claimed one or more partial weeks of benefits after your original claim began or you had a break in your claim, your exhaust date may fall after 2/26/2012 and make you ineligible for EUC.
Tier 2 (14 weeks) - to qualify, you must:
- Have filed initial claim for regular unemployment by 4/11/2011
- Exhaust all 20 weeks of Tier 1 EUC by 3/04/2012
If you exhaust Tier 1 EUC by 3/04/2012, you can start to receive Tier 2 benefits anytime through 8/19/2012.
If you claimed one or more partial weeks of benefits after your original claim began or you had a break in your claim, your exhaust date may fall after 3/04/2012 and make you ineligible for Tier 2.
Tier 3 (13 weeks) - to qualify, you must:
- Have filed initial claim for regular unemployment by 1/10/2011
- Exhaust at least 33 weeks of EUC (20 weeks of Tier 1 and the first 13 weeks of Tier 2) by 3/04/2012
If you exhaust Tier 2 EUC by 3/04/2012, you can start to receive Tier 3 benefits anytime through 8/19/2012.
If you claimed one or more partial weeks of benefits after your original claim began or you had a break in your claim, your exhaust date may fall after 3/04/2012 and make you ineligible for Tier 3.
Tier 4 (6 weeks) - New York State's 3-month average unemployment rate is 8.0%. This falls below the 8.5% average required by the federal government for people to claim the 6 weeks of benefits under EUC Tier 4.
| If You... | Then You... |
|---|---|
| Exhausted all Tier 3 benefits by 8/15/2010 | Can collect Tier 4 benefits until 8/19/2012 |
| Did not exhaust Tier 3 benefits by 8/15/2010 | Cannot collect Tier 4 benefits (You will move from Tier 3 directly into Extended Benefits.) |
Note: The last payable week of EUC is 8/19/2012.
Extended Benefits (EB) - To qualify for any EB, you must:
- Have filed initial claim for regular unemployment benefits by 10/04/2010
- Exhaust 26 weeks of regular benefits and all EUC
- Start claiming EB by 3/11/2012 (However, 3/11/2012 is the last week of EB that can be paid. So if you exhaust all EUC by 3/4/2012, you can only get one week of EB.)
See our FAQ section for more information about:
- Your claim with NYS when you live elsewhere – how this affects your EB and information about your state
- Work search requirements for people who claim EB
- No requirements to look for work while in a DOL-approved training