Prepared by Public Affairs 312-751-4777

The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) began paying temporary extended unemployment benefits on June 30 authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

The ARRA authorized the temporary extended benefits to employees who received regular unemployment benefits for days between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2009. The RRB has been notifying eligible individuals of their new rights to extended benefits as they become eligible and will continue to do so through December 2009.

On June 30, the RRB issued direct deposit payments or checks to all eligible employees who had previously filed unemployment claims that had days denied due to exhaustion of benefits. The RRB also released to each eligible employee a notice of his or her ARRA extended benefit period and any additional claims to be filed now. Employees may file these claims securely online at www.rrb.gov or mail them to the RRB office serving their area.

Railroad workers who previously were not eligible for extended unemployment benefits because they did not have 10 years of service may be eligible for benefits of up to 65 days within an extended period consisting of 7 consecutive 2-week registration periods.

Railroad workers who previously were eligible for extended unemployment benefits of up to 65 days may now be eligible for benefits of up to 130 days within an extended period consisting of 13 consecutive 2-week registration periods.

The ARRA provided an appropriation of $20 million to pay these additional extended unemployment benefits under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act. The latest date that an extended benefit period under the ARRA provisions may begin is December 31, 2009, with payments stopping when the $20 million has been expended.

Railroad workers can obtain more information about the ARRA benefits by checking the “RRB Recovery Act Information Page” on the RRB’s Web site at www.rrb.gov.

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