Understanding Federal Unemployment Extension
In many states, including Colorado, unemployment benefit extensions are not currently available, but have the potential to become available in instances of peak unemployment rates. When unemployment rates reach the required quota, unemployment compensation extensions will be made available to unemployed residents of Colorado. One form of federal unemployment extension that typically becomes available at such a time is the Extended Benefits program, also known as EB.
In order to be eligible to receive Extended Benefits, an applicant must have already exhausted their original benefits claim and are in need of an unemployment extension. In some cases, applicants who are found to be eligible for unemployment compensation extension can receive up to 50 percent more than their initial benefit entitlement.
How to Get an Unemployment Extension
For those wondering, “How can I extend unemployment benefits?” it is vital to understand the qualifications that are associated with receiving an unemployment extension in Colorado. Federal unemployment extensions are currently unavailable in the state of Colorado and will only be made available if the state reaches peak levels of unemployment, or if the senate calls for an extension. Still, it is important to ensure that you do qualify for a federal unemployment extension when one is made available. The qualifications associated with unemployment benefit extensions are similar to those needed for your initial unemployment claim.
In order to qualify for an unemployment compensation extension an applicant must:
• Have an active unemployment insurance claim that ended on or after the first payable week of Extended Benefits.
• Have been terminated from a job due to no fault of their own.
• Be willing to seek and accept any suitable job. In the state of Colorado, a suitable job is defined as any employment which an applicant has experience or training in and can both physically and mentally perform.
• Actively seek work and report a required number of work searches for each week claimed, unless deferred.
• Be registered and create an online resume in the Colorado Labor Exchange system within seven days of filing their initial claim
If the Emergency Benefits program has been set in place, there will likely be additional unemployment benefit extensions made available by the state of Colorado. One of these federal unemployment extension programs is called Emergency Unemployment compensation, or EUC. EUC was designed to provide additional support to individuals who have exhausted both their original benefits program, and their Extended Benefits. Emergency Unemployment Compensation is separated into four tiers:
• Tier 1 supplies unemployment benefits extension for 20 weeks
• Tier 2 supplies unemployment benefits extension for 14 weeks
• Tier 3 supplies unemployment benefits extension for 13 weeks
• Tier 4 supplies unemployment benefits extension for six weeks
Just as with an initial unemployment benefits claim, beneficiaries must maintain eligibility while applying for and receiving federal unemployment extension aid. The state of Colorado requires that applicants continue to submit biweekly claims either online or over the phone. Applicants must also continue to keep a record of all submitted applications, in order to prove their active job-search efforts. All records should include the name, address, phone number and email of the business applied to. Failure to submit bi-weekly claims or provide a job search record could result in the termination of your unemployment benefits extension.
