On January 8, 2003, the U.S. Congress passed legislation that extends the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) Program.

The most-recent TEUC Program began in March 2002, but ended in December 2002. Thanks to this new legislation, unemployment benefit claimants may now file for Federal extensions through May 2003. Qualified claimants may collect on extensions through August 2003.

The extended TEUC Program will provide the initial state benefits for which you qualify, for up to an additional 13 weeks. For example, if you are receiving $250 a week for 26 weeks in regular state benefits, you might now be eligible to continue receiving $250 a week for an additional 13 weeks, after your regular benefits run out. Once your first extension runs out, you may file for and receive a second Federal extension of up to 13 weeks, if both you and your state qualify for the Federal funding. To qualify, states must meet certain unemployment criteria.

Once you are approved for a Federal extension, benefits are potentially payable until one of the following occurs.

• You are no longer eligible for unemployment insurance benefits (E.g., you go back to work full time.)
• You qualify to file a new unemployment insurance claim
• You exhaust all of your unemployment insurance benefits, including extensions
• The current TEUC Program ends, in August, 2003

For more details and to find out if you're eligible for these unemployment benefit extensions, contact your nearest state employment office, more commonly called the unemployment office or One-Stop Center. In most states, claimants may file in person, by phone, by mail, or on the Web.

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