What Is EB in Unemployment?
- When a person runs out of state unemployment benefits, she can apply for federal extended benefits. Because of the potential for abuse, the federal government and state unemployment programs require claimants to apply for extensions at regular intervals. As of June 2011, there are seven tiers of federal extensions, each lasting for a prescribed number of weeks. Tier 1, for example, lasts 20 weeks, while Tier 2 lasts 14 weeks. When a claimant exhausts a tier, her state unemployment office reviews her situation before making the next tier of federal money available.
- Federal legislation delegates administration of unemployment benefits to the states. Therefore, rules on extended benefits vary slightly. In Wisconsin, claimants can receive a maximum of 73 weeks of benefits, including state unemployment and federal extensions. However, in California, unemployment recipients can receive up to 99 weeks of support.
- The laws governing unemployment extended benefit funds include provisions to end or "tack off" programs when state unemployment rates decline below specified levels. States monitor their unemployment rates regularly and are required to notify claimants when benefits are slated to terminate. Wisconsin fell below the federal standard for high unemployment in April 2011 and terminated one form of federal unemployment benefits extension.
- As with state unemployment benefits, federal extensions require recipients to actively search for work. Many states, including Rhode Island and Wisconsin, require claimants to provide weekly proof of their ongoing job search, including a log that shows contact with at least three employers. If a state has any reason to believe a claimant is not searching for or has turned down suitable work, the person could lose benefits.