Claimants who have exhausted regular RI unemployment insurance benefits may be enrolled in one of two extended benefit programs—Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) and State Extended Benefits (EB).

Click here to learn about the most recent changes to both EUC and EB programs.

EUC is a 100% federally funded program that provides benefits to individuals who have exhausted regular benefits. The EUC program was created on June 30, 2008, and has been modified several times. Most recently, the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 extended the expiration date of the EUC program through December 31, 2012. Please note that this enactment does not provide additional weeks of benefits to individuals who had already exhausted all entitlements under previous law.

There is now a Work Search Requirement for Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) - Federal law now requires EUC recipients to: Conduct an active search for work every week. Maintain a detailed record of their employer contacts. Provide their work search records to the state upon request. Individuals’ work search records will be randomly selected to ensure that EUC recipients are meeting the state’s work search requirements. IMPORTANT: State law requires claimants to make a minimum of three work contacts each week. Click here to access the EUC Work Search Form. NEW! Reemployment and Eligibility Assessments (EUC/REA) for all claimants filing for EUC Tier I or transitioning into Tier II. Federal law now requires UI claimants who file for EUC Tier I or transition into Tier II to attend a scheduled EUC/REA Orientation.  These individuals will receive a letter with the following information. Orientation date, time and location will be indicated on EUC/REA letter mailed to the claimant. Instructions to complete and submit work search log at the orientation. Instructions to complete and submit an Eligibility Review Plan (ERP) at the orientation. This orientation requirement is mandatory. Failure to report to a scheduled EUC/REA Orientation will result in an interruption in your unemployment insurance benefits payments.

Frequently Asked Questions about EUC

Some customers who exhaust Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation may be eligible for State Extended Benefits. The maximum number of weeks an eligible jobseeker may collect State Extended Benefits is dependent on the Rhode Island unemployment rate’s three-month average. Twenty weeks is the current maximum. The last payable week of State Extended Benefits is week ending March 10, 2012.

Frequently Asked Questions about EB