Temporary Extension of Unemployment Benefits: Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08)

Katelin P. Isaacs
Analyst in Income Security

Julie M. Whittaker
Specialist in Income Security

Alison M. Shelton
Analyst in Income Security

In July 2008, a new temporary unemployment benefit, the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) program, began. The EUC08 program was created by P.L. 110-252, and it has been amended by P.L. 110-449, P.L. 111-5, P.L. 111-92, P.L. 111-118, P.L. 111-144, and P.L. 111-157. The most recent legislation, P.L. 111-157, extended the authorization of the EUC program, but did not change the structure of the program or augment benefits. When authorized EUC08 provided up to 53 weeks of benefits, distributed into four tiers. There are no proposals that would create a tier V of benefits.

All tiers of EUC08 benefits expired on June 2, 2010. Those beneficiaries receiving tier I, II, III, or IV EUC08 benefits before May 29, 2010, are "grandfathered" for their remaining weeks of eligibility for that particular tier only. There will be no new entrants into any tier of the EUC08 program after May 30, 2010. No EUC08 benefits—regardless of tier—are payable for any week after November 6, 2010.

P.L. 111-92 expanded benefits available in the EUC08 program, creating two new tiers of benefits (bringing total benefit tiers to four) and adding 20 weeks of EUC08 benefits (for a total of up to 53 benefit weeks). P.L. 111-118 extended the EUC08 program, the 100% federal financing of the Extended Benefit (EB) program, and the $25 federal additional compensation (FAC) weekly benefit through February 28, 2010. P.L. 111-144 extended these same three measures until April 5, 2010.

On April 15, 2010, the President signed P.L. 111-157, the Continuing Extension Act of 2010, into law. P.L. 111-157 extended the availability of EUC08, 100% federal financing of EB, and the $25 FAC benefit, until the week ending on or before June 2, 2010.

On March 10, 2010, the Senate passed H.R. 4213, the Tax Extenders Act of 2010. H.R. 4213 would extend the availability of EUC08, 100% federal financing of EB, and the $25 FAC through the end of December 2010. This version went back to the House where it was amended to extend these three unemployment compensation provisions until the end of November 2010. The House passed this latest version of H.R. 4213 on May 28, 2010. H.R. 4213 has gone back to the Senate for consideration. One recent amendment, S.Amdt. 4386—which proposes to extend the availability of EUC08 and 100% federal financing of EB, but does not include an extension of the $25 FAC—has not come to the floor.

On July 1, 2010, the House passed H.R. 5618, which would extend the availability of EUC08 and 100% federal financing of EB through the end of November 2010. S. 3520 was introduced in the Senate on June 22, 2010. S. 3520 would extend EUC08, 100% federal financing of EB, and the FAC through December 2010.

This report will be updated to reflect current congressional action or programmatic changes. Individuals should contact their state's unemployment agency to obtain information on how to apply for and receive EUC08 benefits. The U.S. Department of Labor maintains a website with links to each state's agency at http://www.workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/map.asp.


Date of Report: July 2, 2010
Number of Pages: 17
Order Number: RS22915
Price: $29.95

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