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RRB Pays Initial Extended Unemployment Benefits Authorized by
Recovery Act Legislation |
Recovery Act legislation provides up to 13 weeks of special
extended unemployment benefits for certain railroad workers who
exhaust their rights to the benefits normally provided under the
Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act. As detailed in this press
release, the Railroad Retirement Board began paying these
extended benefits on June 30. |
6/30/2009
7:30:00 AM |
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http://www.rrb.gov/opa/pr/pr0907.asp |
Press Release |
The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) began paying temporary
extended unemployment benefits on June 30 authorized by the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
The ARRA authorized the temporary extended benefits to employees
who received regular unemployment benefits for days between July
1, 2008, and June 30, 2009. The RRB has been notifying eligible
individuals of their new rights to extended benefits as they
become eligible and will continue to do so through December
2009.
On June 30, the RRB issued direct deposit payments or checks to
all eligible employees who had previously filed unemployment
claims that had days denied due to exhaustion of benefits. The
RRB also released to each eligible employee a notice of his or
her ARRA extended benefit period and any additional claims to be
filed now. Employees may file these claims securely online at
www.rrb.gov or mail them to the RRB office serving their area.
Railroad workers who previously were not eligible for extended
unemployment benefits because they did not have 10 years of
service may be eligible for benefits of up to 65 days within an
extended period consisting of 7 consecutive 2-week registration
periods.
Railroad workers who previously were eligible for extended
unemployment benefits of up to
65 days may now be eligible for benefits of up to 130 days
within an extended period consisting of
13 consecutive 2-week registration periods.
The ARRA provided an appropriation of $20 million to pay these
additional extended unemployment benefits under the Railroad
Unemployment Insurance Act. The latest date that an extended
benefit period under the ARRA provisions may begin is December
31, 2009, with payments stopping when the $20 million has been
expended.
Railroad workers can obtain more information about the ARRA
benefits by checking the “RRB Recovery Act Information Page” on
the RRB’s website at www.rrb.gov.
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