Jobless benefits set to expire

The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development advises about 39,000 unemployment claimants who are receiving federally extended unemployment compensation that their benefits will cease the first week of January.

Emergency Unemployment Compensation is a federally funded program, which provides unemployment benefits to individuals who have exhausted the maximum first 26 weeks of state benefits.

According to Jeff Hentschel with the state labor department, 327 unemployed workers in Wilson County currently receive federally extended unemployment compensation expected to be cut off at the end of the year. Another 189 people receive benefits from the state and would not otherwise be able to take advantage of federal benefits once their state allotment runs out.

The federal program was slated to expire at the end of 2011, but the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 extended the expiration date of the benefits to Jan. 2.

 “There is no indication that there will be another extension of these benefits,” said state Labor Commissioner Karla Davis. “It’s important for claimants receiving federal benefits to understand this safety net will no longer be available.”

The last payable week for all claimants receiving EUC08 federal benefits will be the week ending Dec. 29, meaning claimants will certify for that week and receive their last payment the first week of January. All claimants in the EUC08 program — no matter how many weeks they were initially notified they would receive, what tier of EUC they are in, or the amount of balance in that tier — will receive their last EUC08 payment during the first week of January.

After Jan. 2, Tennessee will return to the system in which an approved new claim could have a maximum of up to 26 weeks of Tennessee unemployment compensation benefits.

Additional updates will be provided on the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development website at tn.gov/laborwfd/2012_Unemployment_Update.shtml.