Emergency Unemployment Compensation expected to end Jan. 2
BY LAURIE WINSLOW World Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
12/05/12 at 6:43 AM
Up to 7,000 unemployed Oklahomans soon will no longer be able to collect federally funded Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits unless Congress takes action.
The EUC program is set to expire Jan. 2, immediately ending all EUC benefit payments, the Oklahoma Employment Commission announced Tuesday.
For most individuals, EUC payments will cease with the week ending Dec. 29.
EUC was established in July 2008, during the recession, to help the long-term unemployed as they looked for work.
Congress extended the program multiple times since that date, including a scaled-back version of EUC approved in December 2011.
Unemployment claimants are first eligible for up to 26 weeks of regular state jobless benefits from the OESC. When those benefits are exhausted, claimants become eligible for EUC Tier 1 for up to 14 weeks.
Second and third EUC tiers were suspended last summer after the state's average three-month seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell below 6 percent.
In October, the state's jobless rate was 5.3 percent.
At the program's peak, Oklahomans could collect up to 47 weeks of EUC benefits on top of regular state benefits.
More than 2 million people nationwide will lose EUC benefits when the program expires.
More information about changes to the EUC program is available at tulsaworld.com/oesceuc or by calling 800-555-1554.
Original Print Headline: End in sight for EUC jobless checks
Laurie Winslow 918-581-8466
laurie.winslow@tulsaworld.com
