Change In Law Means Extended Benefits for PA Claimants

Gov. Tom Corbett signed Senate Bill 1375 into law Thursday, ensuring federally funded Extended Benefits in Pennsylvania will continue to unemployment compensation claimants through March 10.
Extended Benefits, additional weeks of unemployment compensation payable to qualified workers when the state’s unemployment rate reaches a certain level, are only payable after individuals have exhausted their rights to state-funded benefits and federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation. High Unemployment Period Extended Benefits are payable to individuals who have exhausted their regular Extended Benefits.
The new legislation will allow claimants to receive High Unemployment Period Extended Benefits through Feb. 18, 2012, and regular Extended Benefits through March 10, 2012.
The Department of Labor & Industry’s Center for Workforce Information & Analysis estimates the law will allow 17,000 claimants to collect $30 million in federally funded Extended Benefits from Feb. 5 through March 10, 2012.