Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Program
On April 16, 2003, congress passed legislation providing additional temporary extended unemployment compensation program (TEUC) benefits for qualified airline and related workers. This new legislation, effective April 20, 2003, modifies the TEUC program that began in March 2002, and allows qualified airline and related workers to file for federal extensions through December 2003 and collect on those extensions through December 2004. Federal extensions provide unemployed airline and related workers, who meet the
qualifications and have exhausted their regular unemployment insurance benefits, up to 39 weeks of benefits. In addition, a second federal extension of up to 13 weeks may be filed if the state meets certain criteria.
The first unemployment benefits extension went into effect March 10, 2002. The last date a new extension can begin for qualified airline and related workers is December 21, 2003. Once filed, benefits for qualified airline and related workers are potentially payable until a new claim can be filed, or until benefits are exhausted, or until January 1, 2005, whichever of these occurs first.
Individuals other than airline and related workers are able to file Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation until the end of May 2003 and collect on these extensions through August 2003.
ELIGIBILITY
Qualified airline and related workers who are fully or partially unemployed on or after April 20, 2003, and who have exhausted a regular unemployment insurance claim and cannot file a new claim, may be eligible for the additional TEUC benefits IF:
The employment upon which the claim is based (known as base period
employment) was performed in whole or in part with:
- A certified air carrier
- A facility at an airport
- An "upstream producer" for an air carrier
- A supplier for an air carrier
AND
The separation from qualifying base period employment was only for "lack of work" due to:
Reduction in service by an air carrier as a result of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, or a security measure taken in response to such attack
OR
A closure of an airport in the United States as a result of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, or a security measure taken in response to such attack
OR
The military conflict with Iraq.
AMOUNT OF AWARD
The monetary award on the first TEUC extension for qualified displaced airline and related workers will be:
a weekly benefit amount equal to the amount received on the regular claim that the extension is based on,
AND
a maximum benefit amount that is the lesser of:
150 percent (1½ times) of the maximum benefit amount on the regular claim,
OR
39 times the weekly benefit amount on the regular claim.
Example: If the weekly benefit amount of the regular claim was $180 and it was for 22 weeks (maximum benefit amount of $3960), the TEUC award for displaced airline and related workers would be:
A weekly benefit amount of $180. (The same as the regular claim.)
A maximum benefit amount of $5940. (In this example, 150% of the maximum benefit amount is less than the weekly benefit amount of the regular claim times 39.)
NOTE: Individuals, who qualify for additional TEUC benefits for airline and related workers and have already received benefits on the first and/or second federal extensions before the enactment of this bill (i.e., before April 20, 2003), will have those payments deducted from the new maximum benefit amount of the TEUC extension.
Some claimants are currently receiving benefits on these extensions, which are superceded by the TEUC extension. If this applies to you, you will continue participating in these programs but will be transferred to a TEUC extension. You will continue on the TEUC extension until you have received all the TEUC benefits possible or the sunset date, whichever comes first. If you still qualify for one of these extensions (NAFTA, CTB, TAA) after the TEUC benefits are exhausted or the sunset date is reached, you may be able to return to one of these extensions.
FUNDING
All TEUC extensions, including the first, second and additional benefits for qualified airline and related workers, are entirely federally funded. Therefore, employers' reserve accounts will not be charged for any monies paid out to claimants on these extensions.
