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Frequently Asked Questions |
NEW! Federal legislation is under discussion to extend the duration customers may receive federal extended benefits. Our staff has no additional details on customer eligibility at this time. Watch this web site for updated information as it occurs.
Beginning the week ending May 2nd, 2009, the U.S. Dept. of Labor now requires that all State Extended Benefits claimants provide documentation of their weekly job search before their weekly benefit payment can be released.
Each week, the RI Dept. of Labor and Training will mail eligible claimants a form that requests documentation of three work searches for a particular week. Once they fill out the form, claimants must mail it to the department in order to receive a payment. Claimants should continue to certify for payment every week through Teleserve.
This change does NOT affect recipients of regular unemployment insurance or Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC).
Click
on each question to show the answer.
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- 1.
What
are State Extended Benefits (EB)?
- State
Extended Benefits are additional unemployment insurance benefits
that are available during periods of high unemployment in the
state.
- 2.
When
does the EB program start?
- The
first week that EB can be paid is the first week after an individual
exhausts their Emergency
Unemployment Compensation (EUC).
-
3. How
do I qualify for EB?
- You are potentially eligible
for EB if you have a Rhode Island unemployment claim and:
- Your benefit year or “BYE” (the one year period beginning
with the week you filed your initial claim for benefits)
ends as of 7/12/08 or later, AND
- Your total base period wages on that claim are more than
40 times your Weekly Benefit Amount, including any dependency
allowance, OR
- The total wages on that BYE claim are more than 1 ½ times
your highest quarter of earnings,OR
- You have 20 weeks of full-time covered employment in the
base period, which was used to establish your claim, AND
- You are not eligible for any other claim with this or
any other state, AND
- You are not eligible for any other Federal Unemployment
Program, AND
- You are not receiving compensation under the unemployment
compensation law of Canada.
Other eligibility requirements
pertaining to your work search and the definition of Suitable
Work are discussed below.
- 4.
How and when do I apply for EB?
- When you receive your final Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits, the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telephone system will direct you to either file online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at https://uiclaims.state.ri.us/RI-ICS/Intro/Index.aspx?AC=yes or contact the Call Center to file for the State Extended Benefits.
Please note: If you were directed by the IVR, or Tele-Serve, to file a claim for EUC or EB, please wait until the following business day before filing your claim.
- 5.
What has been the recent change to the EB payment process?
- Effective April 26, 2009, individuals must adhere to the following procedure for certifying for a State Extended Benefit (EB) payment. This procedure mandates that you:
1.
Complete a work search form that documents three work search contacts for each week you request benefits,
2.
Submit this form to the department prior to certifying for your weekly payments through TeleServe, and
3.
Confirm that you have submitted this form when prompted by TeleServe (243-9600) each time you certify for payment. Teleseve is active only between 12:01 a.m. on Sunday to 7:00 a.m. on Monday and any time Monday through Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
You will receive the payments either via Electronic Payment Card (EPC) or via Direct Deposit into your checking or savings account. You determined your payment method at the time you filed your claim for regular benefits. If you decide to change your payment method, please notify the claims representative at the time you file for EB.
- 6.
How will I receive my weekly work search form?
- The first work search form will be mailed to you by the Call Center when you file your initial claim for State EB. The form will then be sent to you automatically each week after the department processes your payment on TeleServe. You are advised to keep copies of all your submissions for your personal records. Please do not attach any other documentation when you return the work search form.
- 7.
Why am I required to send in the work search prior to calling for a payment?
- Claimants in all unemployment insurance programs must maintain a record of their work search for each week they collect benefits. In addition, federal and state unemployment insurance law requires State Extended Benefits recipients to engage in “a systematic and sustained effort to obtain work during that week.” This means they must document their work search efforts throughout the week. Federal regulations require State Extended (EB) Benefits recipients to provide evidence of their work search prior to the department processing a payment for the week.
- 8.
Does this change in the payment process impact any other program?
- This payment change only impacts customers collecting State EB. No other unemployment program (i.e. Regular UI or Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08)) is affected.
- 9.
What happens if I do not mail in the work search form each week?
- If you do not submit the mandatory work search for any week that you have certified for a payment, you will be denied benefits, declared overpaid, and determined at fault for any overpayment of benefits received.
- 10.
Who can I contact if I have questions regarding the EB work search?
- If you have a question regarding the EB work search, you may contact the department’s Unemployment Insurance Call Center at 401-243-9107.
- 11.
What if I have lost my EPC card?
- Contact
1-866-847-8586 and request a replacement card.
- 12.
What if my bank account number has changed?
- Notify
the claims representative at the time you file for Extended
Benefits.
- 13.
How much will I receive on EB?
- Your
weekly EB benefit rate is the same rate as your regular weekly
benefit rate.
- 14.
How long can I collect EB?
- If you qualify for EB,
you will get the lesser of:
- Twenty (20) times your benefit rate, or;
- Eighty percent (80%) of your regular total benefits, including dependency allowance where applicable.
You will be sent an EB monetary determination, which will show your exact benefits. Although you could potentially collect the maximum amount, this is not guaranteed, because Extended Benefits could trigger off due to changes in the state unemployment rate, as specified in Section 28-44-62 of the RI General Laws. The department will advise customers when the program is scheduled to end.
- 15.
I applied for EB and the monetary statement issued to me indicated
that I was not eligible. Why don’t I qualify? I disagree with
this statement, what can I do??
- You may receive a monetary determination
that you are not eligible. The reasons for ineligibility include:
- Your benefit year ended before the EB trigger on date,
OR
- The total wages on your claim are less than 40 times your
weekly benefit amount,
OR
- The total base period wages on your claim are less than
1 ½ times your highest quarter of base period earning,
OR
- You do not have 20 weeks of full-time covered employment
in the base period of your claim.
You may file an appeal if you disagree. An appeal is a written
disagreement with our decision. Send your written appeal within
fifteen (15) calendar days to The Rhode Island Department of
Labor and Training, P.O. Box 20389, Cranston, RI 02920-0944.
- 16.
Are Extended Benefits taxable?
- Yes, Extended Benefits are taxable.
- 17.
How long will Extended Benefits last?
- Customers
will be advised when the State Extended Benefit program is scheduled
to trigger off; this is dependent upon the State Unemployment
Rate falling below established regulations as set in state law.
Please visit our web site for updated information at www.dlt.ri.gov
- 18.
What happens if EB ends and I still have money left on my claim?
- Once
the EB period ends, we cannot pay any further benefits, even
if an individual has credits remaining. Tele-Serve will inform
you when you are receiving your final payment.
- 19.
Once my regular benefits are exhausted, will I be automatically
filed for Extended Benefits?
- No, once your regular benefits have ended, you must contact the Unemployment Insurance Service Center or visit our website to file for Extended Benefits.
Please note: If you were directed by the Interactive Voice Response (IVR), or Tele-Serve, to file a claim for EUC or EB, please wait until the following business day before filing your claim.
- 20.
I was on Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC). Will I be
automatically filed for the State Extended Benefits?
- No,
once your EUC benefits have ended, you must contact the Unemployment
Insurance Service Center to file for Extended Benefits.
- 21.
I returned to work. Can I receive retroactive Extended Benefits?
- No,
the Extended Benefits Program does not pay retroactively.
- 22.
Can I receive Extended Benefits if I am collecting Temporary
Disability Insurance (TDI)?
- No,
you cannot receive unemployment benefits of any type while you
are on Temporary Disability Insurance. Once you have ended your
TDI, and your doctor certifies that you are able to return to
work, you should contact the department at that time for a determination
of benefits.
- 23.
What are the job search requirements while on EB?
- You must be able, available and actively applying for full-time work during each week you request regular UI or extended benefits.
You must apply or contact three employers each week. You must record the following information for each work search:
- date of company contact
- company name and address
- job title or position applied for
- type of contact (application, in person, phone call, etc.)
- result of contact
A visit to a netWORKri Career Center can serve as one contact for the week. If you are a member in good standing of a trade union (i.e. Local 99 Carpenters’ Union), contacting the union hiring hall also counts as one contact for the week.
Effective April 26, 2009, the department will ask you to send in evidence of your work search on a weekly basis, prior to calling TeleServe for your payment. Failure to provide a record of your work search, for any week you have certified for an EB payment, could result in a denial and/or overpayment of benefits.
NOTE: If you fail to meet the Extended Benefits work search requirements, you will be denied further Extended Benefits beginning the week you failed to meet the job search requirements and until you work in at least four (4) weeks and earn four (4) times your weekly benefit rate, including any dependency allowance.
If you are in a TRA or WIA approved training program, you do not have to meet the job search requirements.
- 24.
If I am sick, or on vacation, or do not look for work for a
week or longer, what should I do?
- If
you claim a week of Extended Benefits, in which you do not meet
the work search requirements, you will be denied Extended Benefits
for that week and until you work in at least four (4) weeks
and earn four (4) times your weekly benefit rate, including
any dependency allowance.
However, you can choose not to claim a week because you did
not meet the requirements.
If you choose not to claim a week, you must contact the department
when you meet the requirements to “restart” your claim.
- 25.
What is “suitable work” while receiving EB?
- Suitable
work on EB is defined as any work that you are capable of doing
that pays in excess of your weekly benefit amount and not less
than the higher of the federal, state, or local minimum wage.
The job must be within a reasonable distance from your place
of residence or last place of work, and cannot be detrimental
to your health, safety, or morals.
You do not have to accept a job if it is vacant due to a labor
strike, if you are required to join or to resign from a bona
fide labor organization, or if the working conditions or hours
are substantially less favorable than those prevailing for similar
work in the labor market.
If you fail to accept suitable work while claiming EB, you will
be denied EB beginning the week of the refusal and until you
work in at least four (4) weeks and early four times your weekly
benefit rate, plus dependency, if applicable.
- 26.
I’m on “stand-by” with my employer. Do I have to look
for other work to receive EB?
- There
is no “stand-by” on EB. Claimants on EB must be making an
active work search (see above).
- 27.
I get my jobs through my union. Do I have to look for other
work outside my union if I’m on EB?
- Yes,
if you normally get your work through your union hiring hall,
you are still required to look for other suitable work that
will not jeopardize your union status. Your union counts as
one job contact during a week – you must make at least two
other job search contacts during any week you claim EB. Remember
to record your work search contacts on a job log (see above,
question 18).
- 28.
I have a Rhode Island claim but I live in another state. Do
I qualify for EB?
- If the state in which you live is not in an EB period, you are eligible for only two weeks of extended benefits. If the state in which you live is on EB, you are eligible to collect further weeks while that state is on the program. At this time, Alaska and North Carolina are the only other states on a State Extended Benefits program.
- 29.
Can I continue to receive Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA)
during an EB period?
- The
TRA Unit will notify you that, if you qualify for EB, you must
draw EB before TRA. Staff members will provide you with further
instructions.
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