Press release - SC Unemployment benefits may come to an end for many long-term unemployed claimants, as Congress on Thursday could not garner the necessary number of votes to pass the extension of benefits.
People currently receiving benefits under one of the four successive Extended Unemployment Compensation (EUC) tiers will be able to finish out their current period of benefits, but will not be able to move on to an additional tier.
Currently, two programs, Unemployment Compensation (EUC) and Extended Benefits (EB), allow workers to receive extended benefit payments after running out of their initial 26 weeks of state unemployment benefits.
The first tier of the EUC program began in mid-2008, and paid for an additional 20 weeks of benefits for workers in all states. The program was expanded by Congress to allow 14 additional weeks on Tier 2, 13 additional weeks on Tier 3, and 6 additional weeks on Tier 4 for claimants in states -- like South Carolina -- with high levels of unemployment. The EUC benefits are only available to claimants in South Carolina as long as Congress has authorized and appropriated money for them.
The EB program provides an additional 20 weeks of benefits to South Carolina claimants receiving unemployment insurance who exhaust their state and EUC benefits. Payments for the EB program ended the week of June 5, 2010.
Unless Congress reauthorizes these programs, claimants who are currently on Tier 1, 2, 3, or 4 in the EUC program will only be able to continue to receive benefits for that particular tier. Likewise, qualified new claimants will not be able to receive benefits beyond the allotted initial period of up to 26 weeks.
The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (SCDEW) will continue to take certifications for all programs so that if Congress reauthorizes the federal funding retroactively, checks can be issued promptly.
The SCDEW will continue to monitor the situation as it develops and will promptly report any changes.
