The Governor’s Office of Economic Recovery and Reinvestment and the RI Department of Labor and Training announced today that up to 2,600 unemployed Rhode Islanders who were deemed ineligible for State Extended Benefits may now collect benefits under this program, due to an option offered by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

This temporary change in eligibility will be effective through January 1, 2010. All potential claimants will be notified by mail of the change in eligibility, which is being implemented this week, and will include retroactive payments from February 22, 2009 to the present. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, funding for State Extended Benefits issued from February 22, 2009 forward comes from the federal unemployment insurance trust fund.

"By expanding the window of eligibility for State Extended Benefits, we can provide much needed assistance to many long-term unemployed who are struggling to find jobs in this most difficult economy,” said Governor Donald L. Carcieri.

Unemployment Insurance claimants who qualified for and exhausted their Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation, but were originally ineligible for the State Extended Benefits program, may now qualify for State Extended Benefits if they have been unemployed or working part-time since the effective date of February 22, 2009. Those working full-time consistently since February 22, 2009 are not eligible for these benefits.

One element of eligibility for both the State Extended Benefits program and the Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation program is determined by an individual’s Benefit Year Ending (BYE) date. In the case of State Extended Benefits, an eligible BYE originally corresponded with July 12, 2008, the date that Rhode Island triggered on the State Extended Benefits program. While the Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation was also announced in July 2008, its eligibility was retroactive to a BYE of May 5, 2007. The RI Department of Labor and Training has chosen to temporarily change the BYE requirements for the State Extended Benefits program to mirror the requirements of the Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, thereby adopting the largest window of eligibility available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

State Extended Benefits claimants must be able and available for full-time work and seeking full-time work. Each week, they must complete a work search form documenting three work search contacts for the seven-day benefit period, and then submit the form to the department prior to certifying for weekly payments through the automated TeleServe system.

For more information, call the State Extended Benefits information line at 401) 243-9107 or visit www.dlt.ri.gov/ui.

Related links

• Office of Economic Recovery & Reinvestment
• Office of the Governor