Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08): Current Status of Benefits

Julie M. Whittaker
Specialist in Income Security

Katelin P. Isaacs
Analyst in Income Security 

The temporary Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) program may provide additional federal unemployment insurance benefits to eligible individuals who have exhausted all available benefits from their state Unemployment Compensation (UC) programs. Congress created the EUC08 program in 2008 and has amended the original, authorizing law (P.L. 110-252) 10 times.

The most recent extension of EUC08 in P.L. 112-96, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, authorizes EUC08 benefits through the end of calendar year 2012. P.L. 112- 96 also alters the structure and potential availability of EUC08 benefits in states. Under P.L. 112- 96, the potential duration of EUC08 benefits available to eligible individuals depends on state unemployment rates as well as the calendar date.

The P.L. 112-96 extension of the EUC08 program does not allow any individual to receive more than 99 weeks of total unemployment insurance (i.e., total weeks of benefits from the three currently authorized programs: regular UC plus EUC08 plus EB). No additional benefits were created for those who had exhausted all unemployment insurance benefits (e.g., “99ers”).

However, from February 19 through May 26, 2012, up to 10 additional weeks of tier IV EUC08 benefits may be available (for a total of 16 weeks) if there is no active EB program in the state at the time when an individual enters tier IV and the three-month average state unemployment rate is at least 8.5%. Eligibility for these additional weeks is subject to the requirement that no individual receives more than a 99 weeks total of unemployment insurance. A figure providing the sequence, availability, and total maximum of all unemployment benefits (UC, EUC08, and EB) is provided in the Appendix.

This report summarizes the structure of EUC08 benefits available through December 29, 2012 (December 30, 2012 for New York). It also provides the legislative history of the EUC08 program. .


Date of Report: March 28, 2012
Number of Pages: 21
Order Number: R42444
Price: $29.95

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