A federal unemployment extension is available to unemployed senior citizens during periods of severe state unemployment and national recession. Accordingly, an unemployment benefits extension is not always an available option. If an unemployment extension is available, however, it provides qualifying senior citizens with several additional weeks of unemployment insurance (UI) as they search for new job opportunities. However, unemployment compensation extension benefits generally vary by state and the specific extension program. For instance, unemployment extensions for seniors include Federal-State Extended Benefits (EB) and the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program of 2008 (EUC08). “How can I extend unemployment benefits if an extension is not available in my state?” unemployed senior citizens may ask. To get a senior unemployment extension, claimants must first exhaust all other UI benefits. If a senior unemployment benefits extension is not available in the state in which claimants live, however, they cannot extend their UI pay. To learn more about how to get an unemployment extension during periods of extreme state unemployment, review the sections below.

What is a federal unemployment extension for seniors?

An unemployment benefits extension is available to qualifying senior citizens who cannot find suitable work in their state due to periods of high unemployment. With an unemployment extension, seniors may obtain up to 13 additional weeks of UI compensation, depending on the state in which they reside. In some states, senior unemployment extensions provide claimants with up to 20 additional weeks of unemployment insurance benefits. However, two types of unemployment benefit extensions may be available during periods of severe unemployment. These include federal and state extended benefits. While an unemployment compensation extension is available during periods of high state unemployment, a federal unemployment extension is generally available during a national recession. These extensions include the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program (EUC08) and Federal-State Extended Benefits (EB).

For instance, the emergency unemployment compensation extension is a 100 percent federally-funded program that included four tiers and ran between June 30, 2008 and January 1, 2014. Additionally, the EB unemployment extension ended on January 12, 2014. Furthermore, other unemployment extension programs ran during periods of national recession before the EUC08 program came into effect. These unemployment compensation extension programs ran during the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and the early 2000s. To learn more about unemployment extensions for seniors and the various types of benefits they provide, download our guide.

Who qualifies for an unemployment benefits extension?

“What can I do to extend unemployment benefits?” unemployed senior citizens may ask. While a federal unemployment insurance extension may be available during periods of recession, only certain eligible seniors may qualify for additional UI benefits. Senior unemployment compensation extensions are only available to claimants who exhaust all other UI benefits (excluding Trade Readjustment Allowances or Disaster Unemployment Assistance) and meet general unemployment eligibility requirements. To qualify for extended benefits, for instance, seniors must be searching for new job opportunities and be willing to return to work at any time. However, additional eligibility requirements may vary by state.

Furthermore, senior unemployment extensions are not available to all unemployed claimants who qualify for regular UI benefits. To qualify for an unemployment compensation extension, seniors must contact their State UI Agency for specific eligibility requirements.

How long does an unemployment extension last?

During an unemployment benefit extension, claimants may obtain several additional weeks of UI compensation, depending on the state in which they reside and the certain type of extension program they qualify to receive. Under the EB senior unemployment extension program, for instance, qualifying claimants receive up to 13 additional weeks of UI pay during periods of high unemployment. In some states, however, up to 20 weeks of additional compensation are available during periods of extreme unemployment. Furthermore, unemployment compensation extension benefit periods are sometimes shorter than 13 or 20 weeks, depending on the specific situation.

Under the EUC08 federal unemployment extension, extension periods generally included an additional 13 to 14 weeks of UI benefits, depending on the specific program tier. Four senior UI extension tiers were available under the EUC08 program. Under this unemployment benefits extension program, the first tier came into effect on June 30, 2008, while the fourth tier came into effect on November 6, 2009.

How to Get an Unemployment Extension as a Senior

To get an unemployment extension, seniors must contact their local UI Agency to determine whether extended benefits are available in the state in which they reside. If a UI extension is not available in their state, seniors cannot extend their UI compensation, as extensions are not available at all times. When a state or federal unemployment extension becomes available, however, State UI Agencies generally notify qualifying claimants who are eligible to obtain these extended benefits. To learn more about how to get a senior unemployment extension during periods of high unemployment, download our comprehensive guide here.