Federally-funded Benefits to end

The Extended Benefit (EB) program will end in Michigan as the federally-funded program is set to expire with the week ending December 31, 2011.  Additionally, the federally-funded Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program is no longer accepting new claims as of that same date.

The EB program, which began in January 2009, had been paying up to 20 weeks of federally-funded unemployment benefits in Michigan to those who exhausted their state and EUC benefits. The Agency has begun notifying those in the Extended Benefit program that it will trigger off with the payment of benefits for the week ending December 31. 

The EUC program and its four tiers provided up to 53 weeks of unemployment benefits to jobless workers who depleted their state unemployment benefits.  Those currently receiving EUC can continue to collect the balance of benefits remaining on their tier, but cannot move on to the next tier.  Regardless of the number of weeks jobless workers have remaining on EUC, payments will end during the week of June 9, 2012.

The expiration of the EUC program will not affect the state’s unemployment benefit program, which will continue to provide up to 26 weeks of unemployment benefits to those who are newly unemployed and meet the program’s eligibility requirements.  Those who are newly unemployed as of January 15, 2012, and meet the program’s eligibility requirements will be eligible for up to 20 weeks of state unemployment benefits. 

Additional information about the end of EB and EUC is available on the UIA website (www.michigan.gov/uia).  In addition, the Agency has also established a toll-free number (1-866-MI-HELPS) for people to call for pre-recorded information about the extension programs.

Individuals nearing the end of their unemployment benefits may also visit the state’s Helping Hand website (www.michigan.gov/helping hand) for information about family support, housing, health care, jobs and training, and other services.  People can also go online to apply for food assistance and to determine if they may be eligible for certain types of public assistance.