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New Federal Unemployment Insurance Extensions
(Updated November 18, 2009)
On Friday, November 6, 2009, President Obama signed new federal legislation making further unemployment extension benefits available. A total of up to 14 more weeks of benefits are possible for unemployed workers who have run out of all available benefits, or could do so by the end of the year. There is also the potential for 6 more weeks of benefits being added for a total of up to 20 weeks if Congress takes further action and extends filing deadlines beyond the end of the year.
EDD has identified an estimated 285,000 people in California who could be eligible for these new benefits. Approximately 100,000 of those people have already exhausted all available benefits and will be mailed notices this week advising them of their potential eligibility. The rest of these claimants will be receiving messages on their last unemployment benefit check they get from their current federal extension.
The first eligible week for the new benefits is the week starting Sunday, November 8, 2009. Because the new extension is not retroactive, it does not apply to any weeks of unemployment prior to the enactment date of November 8.
The new extensions passed by Congress are complex and are a challenge for states to administer. The program adds:
- One week of benefits to the second federal extension already available in California,
- Thirteen weeks in a third extension or third tier extension for states with an unemployment rate of at least 6 percent, and
- Six weeks of benefits in a fourth extension or fourth tier extension for states with an unemployment rate of 8.5 percent or higher.
EDD is aggressively working to finish the necessary programming so the new extension claims can be filed and paid. However, due to the complexity, it’s estimated the programming will take several weeks to complete.
There is currently no need to contact EDD. Once programming is in place, we will follow up with further instructions and automatically file the extensions for as many of our clients as possible. EDD will file the new extended benefit claims effective November 8, 2009, for those who are eligible. We may also need to contact some clients and request further information. Please watch this Web site for further updates.