Filing an unemployment benefits extension in Washington State may be your only choice if your regular benefits are running out. If your benefits end during the calendar year, under most circumstances, you will be forced to use your own funds until the next year arrives. Fortunately, a WA federal unemployment extension will allow you to continue receiving benefits past your original end date. If you have ever asked yourself, “What can I do to extend unemployment in WA?” keep reading to learn about the following topics:
You may be wondering how to get an unemployment extension in Washington, but at the current moment, there are no unemployment benefits extension programs which are active. Federal unemployment extension programs are usually only available during periods of extremely high unemployment, and the federal government will only enact a program if the state meets certain standards. In Washington, the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program allowed unemployed workers to extend benefits past the normal 52-week mark, until the program ended in December 2013. Similarly, the Extended Benefits (EB) program, which also provided for unemployed workers in Washington, was made inactive by Congress in 2012.
The EUC unemployment extension program originated in response to the 2008 Great Recession, but as the economy recovered, Congress decided to end the program. To bring the program to life, the American Taxpayer Relief Act required the federal government to put nearly $6 billion of funds towards unemployment benefits. On average, most unemployment compensation extension recipients received an additional 17 weeks of benefits, but as of 2013, the average extension has been reduced to only five weeks. If you had wondered “How can I extend unemployment in Washington?” there was no need to worry about applying. In situations when extension programs were active, all beneficiaries who were eligible for extensions were automatically enrolled in the program.
Since the Washington unemployment extension program is not currently in effect, there will be no way to extend your benefits if they run out. However, there are ways to start working again as quickly as possible. If you are not granted a federal unemployment extension, and you have difficulty finding a new job, consider the tips below:
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