NH UNEMPLOYMENT HELP

Help and Advice on Unemployment Insurance for Granite Staters

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Federal EUC and EB Denials in NH

August 26th, 2010

This is going to be a short post in the interest of getting this important information up as soon as possible. I’ve received a lot of emails and comments in the last two days about claim denials by NHES and missed checks. It seems to only be affecting eligible claimants who are already collecting Federally-funded EB benefits or are in the process of moving into EB benefits. As far as I can tell, it is not affecting those folks who are still collecting the regular 26 week State unemployment benefits or EUC benefits as I’ve received email from people in both situations who were unaffected.

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My understanding of the situation is that NH has “triggered off” the EB program which means is that the State of NH is no longer eligible for funding by the Federal government for the EB program. The unemployment rate in NH in July decreased to 5.8% from 5.9% in June which brought the three month average below the 6.5% threshold required for Federal funding of the EB program so residents of NH will no longer be eligible for EB as of August 14, 2010. This does not affect the regular 26 week State unemployment benefits program or the Federally funded EUC program.

With this change, the maximum number of weeks of unemployment benefits NH residents may be eligible would now be 26 weeks of regular State benefits, up to 20 weeks of Tier 1 EUC benefits, up to 14 weeks Tier 2 benefits, up to 13 weeks of Tier 3 benefits for a total of 73 weeks. NH residents are not eligible for Tier 4 benefits as the unemployment rate in NH is well below the threshold 8.5%. Tier 3 benefits may soon be coming to an end in NH as the three month average unemployment rate must be above 6% and is is currently sitting at just slightly above that. We’ll find out what happens on September 3, 2010 when the official data is released.

Whether this is exactly what is affecting you or not, if you are having any issues with your claim you should call or visit NHES and ask specifically about your case. I’ve heard that they have been giving different explanations to different people which, to me, is disappointing since an issue this important to NH residents should be addressed and communicated to NHES staff and the public.

I’ll update this post if I confirm the issue or find out any more details.

As always, if anyone has anything to add or a question, please leave a comment.

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Posted in Advice, Background, News, NH Unemployment Benefit News, Unemployment Benefit Extension

Tags: delays in nh unemployment checks nh unemployment checks delayed nh unemployment claimant checks delayed nhes tier 3

Congress Approves Unemployment Extension until November 2010

July 24th, 2010

[EDIT: I put a How-to post on the Federal Unemployment Extension here]

Well, it’s about time!

President Obama signed the emergency unemployment benefits legislation into law this afternoon shortly after the House passed the measure and sent it to his desk. The House last approved an extension in May but the US Senate would not come to an agreement on the extension prior to breaking for their summer recess at the end of June and the measure stalled. The Senate finally approved the bill Wednesday afternoon which then sent it to the House for today’s passage.

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This bill will see Federal emergency unemployment insurance benefits extended until November for the unemployed Americans who have used up their standard 6 1/2 months of benefits. The House passed the measure by a vote of 272-152 which, like the June vote, was largely along party lines. The majority Democrats pushed for the extension, framing it as a crucial measure to help unemployed Americans suffering the worst recession in generations. Senate and House GOP claimed that the bill would add to the $1T deficit and should be paid for by government spending cuts elsewhere. Here is an AP News video on the extension -

So what does this mean for Granite Staters? Well, first, it means that if you are still claiming your first 26 weeks of benefits (the regular NHES benefits), you will likely be eligible for an extension when those benefits run out. If your NHES benefits ran out and you are claiming the Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) or Extended Benefits (EB) benefits, you may also be eligible for an extension. If these benefits ran out after the expiration of the previous extension, you may be eligible for retroactive benefits. Finally, if you have exhausted all State, EUC, and EB claims, you may not be eligible BUT IT IS IMPORTANT that you be ABSOLUTELY SURE and should contact NHES directly for help with your particular case. It’s confusing and you do not want to miss out on the extension. As usual, if you have any questions of comments, please leave a comment.

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Posted in Advice, Eligibility, News, Unemployment Benefit Extension