Recovery Act Providing Special Extended Unemployment Benefits |
Recovery Act legislation provides up to 13 weeks of special
extended unemployment benefits for certain railroad workers who
exhaust their rights to the benefits normally provided under the
Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act. This press release, in a
question and answer format, provides information about these
extended benefits. |
05/01/2009
01:00:00 PM |
None |
http://www.rrb.gov/opa/pr/pr0905.asp |
Press Release |
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery
Act), signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009,
contains a number of provisions that affect railroad retirement
annuitants and railroad workers. Among other provisions, this
Act provides up to 13 weeks of special extended unemployment
benefits for certain railroad workers who exhaust their rights
to the benefits normally provided under the Railroad
Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA). The following questions and
answers provide information about these special extended
unemployment benefits.
1. Who will receive the special extended unemployment benefits?
* Railroad workers who previously were not eligible for extended
unemployment benefits because they did not have 10 years of
railroad service (120 cumulative service months) may be eligible
for up to 65 days within an extended period consisting of 7
consecutive 2-week registration periods.
* Railroad workers who were previously eligible for extended
unemployment benefits of up to 65 days may now be eligible for
extended benefits of up to 130 days within an extended period
consisting of 13 consecutive 2-week registration periods.
2. I have 8 years of railroad service and I ran out of my normal
unemployment benefits on January 15, 2009. Am I eligible to
receive the special extended unemployment benefits?
Yes, you would be eligible to receive up to 65 days within an
extended period consisting of 7 consecutive 2-week registration
periods. Your extended benefit period would begin on January 16,
2009, and benefits would be payable provided that you were still
unemployed and ready, willing and able to work.
3. I have 20 years of railroad service and I exhausted my
extended unemployment benefits on February 27, 2009. Am I
eligible to receive the special extended unemployment benefits?
Yes, you would be eligible to receive an additional 65 days
within an extended period consisting of a total of 13
consecutive 2-week registration periods. Your extended benefit
period would last an additional 7 consecutive 2-week
registration periods past February 27. Benefits would be payable
provided that you were still unemployed and ready, willing and
able to work.
4. What effect will the new law have on sickness benefits?
The extended unemployment benefit provisions of the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act apply only to unemployment
benefits. No additional extended sickness benefits are payable.
If you have less than 10 years of service, you are still not
eligible for extended sickness benefits. If you have
10 or more years of service, you are still eligible to receive
up to 65 days within an extended sickness benefit period
consisting of 7 consecutive 2-week registration periods.
5. What must I do to receive my special extended unemployment
benefits?
The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) will mail notices to
eligible employees who previously exhausted their rights to
normal or extended unemployment benefits. The notice will
provide information about their extended unemployment benefit
period beginning and ending dates. The RRB will also mail claim
forms for days in the extended period. If you do not receive a
notice and you believe you are eligible for these added
benefits, you can contact your local RRB office as outlined
below.
6. When will my special extended unemployment benefit period
begin?
In general, your special extended unemployment benefit period
will begin the day after you exhausted any normal or regular
extended unemployment benefits.
7. What is the latest date that a special extended benefit
period can begin?
Special extended unemployment benefit periods can begin no later
than December 31, 2009.
8. When will my special extended unemployment benefits end?
Special extended unemployment benefits are being paid from the
appropriation of $20 million provided by the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act. Payment of special unemployment benefits
will stop at the end of a person’s extended unemployment benefit
period or when the
$20 million has been spent - whichever comes first.
9. I returned to work and am now unemployed again. Can my
special extended unemployment period beginning date be changed?
It depends. Extended benefit periods are frozen periods once
they are established. If you exhausted normal benefits and did
not receive any extended unemployment benefits, we can change
the beginning date of your special extended unemployment benefit
period. If, however, you already received some extended
unemployment benefits but are now eligible for the additional 65
days, your extended benefit period beginning date can’t be
changed. Instead, we will change the ending date of your
extended period to allow for the payment of any additional days
you may be entitled to.
10. How can I file my claims?
Upon receipt of the unemployment claims, you may file your
claims by mailing them to your local RRB office or by filing
them over the Internet at www.rrb.gov. You will need to
establish a PIN/password to file your claims over the Internet.
11. What is the fastest way to get my benefits?
Filing your claims over the Internet and signing up for Direct
Deposit help ensure faster delivery of your claims and benefit
payments. You should establish a PIN/password account at
www.rrb.gov now so that you can file your claims over the
Internet once you receive notice that your extended period has
been established. In addition, please notify your local RRB
office if you have moved or if your bank
account information has changed. Also, even if your Direct
Deposit information has not changed but you were last paid
benefits in 2008, call us to report this information again so we
can pay your benefits faster and safer electronically. You may
contact your local RRB office to sign up for Direct Deposit,
make changes to your existing Direct Deposit information and
update your address.
12. When will you start paying these special benefits?
Benefits paid under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act are
financed from taxes paid by railroad employers. However, these
special extended unemployment benefits are being paid
specifically from a $20 million appropriation provided under the
Recovery Act legislation. Many of our automated systems need to
be changed to allow for this exception. We are working on these
changes and expect to begin paying eligible individuals no later
than June 30, 2009.
13. What if I exhaust all of my normal, regular extended and/or
special extended unemployment benefits?
A new benefit year begins July 1, 2009. You may receive
unemployment benefits beginning
July 1 or later if your railroad earnings were at least $3,200
in calendar year 2008, counting no more than $1,280 a month. You
can obtain an application for benefits at your local RRB office
or file an application over the Internet at www.rrb.gov.
Applications are also available through railroad employers and
many labor organizations. If you file for unemployment benefits,
your application must be received within 30 days of the first
day for which you want to claim benefits, or you may lose
benefits.
14. Will the special extended unemployment benefits I receive
because of the Recovery Act count as income for Federal income
tax purposes?
Yes. Under current law, all unemployment benefits are subject to
taxation. We will report the amount of the special extended
benefits you receive because of the Recovery Act on the Form
1099-G you receive in January, along with all other railroad
unemployment benefits paid to you during the previous year.
Under another provision of the Recovery Act, however, there will
be no Federal income tax on the first $2,400 of unemployment
benefits paid to you in 2009. This special rule applies only to
unemployment benefits paid to you in 2009.
15. I am a railroad employer. Will the payment of these special
extended unemployment benefits to my employees affect my RUIA
experience-based contribution rate?
No, any special extended unemployment benefits paid based on the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will be charged
to the $20 million appropriation we will receive. These benefits
will not be charged to the claimant’s base year employer’s
benefit account balance and consequently will not be used when
calculating the base year employer’s experience-rated RUIA
contribution rate for any future years.
16. How do I get more information?
Please call your local RRB office toll-free at 1-877-772-5772
(1-877-RRB-5RRB), or check our Web site at www.rrb.gov for
further information. |