Delaware Unemployment Extension

The U.S. Congress passed and the President has signed legislation (H.R. 3630) to continue the EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) and EB (Extended Benefits) programs. It is imperative to note that this legislation does not add any extra tiers of EUC or provide any additional weeks of EUC or EB.

Individuals who have exhausted all tiers of EUC and exhausted EB are not permitted to any additional weeks of benefits. The EUC and EB programs are continued through 1/2/2013 and at that time EUC ends with no phase-out, while EB ends with a phase-out.

The 3-month average TUR (total unemployment rate) trigger required for a State to be on certain EUC tiers, effective June 1, 2012 will be:

• Tier 1: no trigger requirement
• Tier 2: 6.0%
• Tier 3: 7.0%
• Tier 4: 9.0%

If a claimant is on a tier of EUC when a TUR trigger to end that tier is reached, the claimant can collect the remainder of that tier, but new EUC claims for that tier cannot be filed.

As of September 2, 2012, the number of weeks available for EUC will be:

• Tier 1: 14 weeks, down from the current 20 weeks
• Tier 2: 14 weeks, no change from current weeks
• Tier 3: 9 weeks, down from the current 13 weeks
• Tier 4: Not applicable as Delaware has already triggered off Tier 4 EUC

If a claimant is on a tier of EUC when the reduction of weeks available for that tier occurs, the claimant can collect the remainder of that tier at the original number of weeks available when they filed their initial claim for that tier. The reduction in weeks would apply only to new EUC claims.

Extended Benefits

Delaware’s 3 month average, seasonally adjusted total unemployment rate (TUR) has dipped to 7.9% which is below the 8.0% rate required by the federal government to remain in a high unemployment period (HUP); i.e. 20 weeks of EB.

Hence, starting January 15, 2012, the maximum potential entitlement in the EB program in Delaware decreased from 20 weeks to 13 weeks.

Extended Benefits (EB) – Program Ended

Under federal law, as of 2019, EUC benefits are no longer available.

Extensions for collecting UI payments are in effect only during periods of high unemployment and only if the state or federal government take specific action to provide extended benefits.