EUC Phaseout

Realistically is there a chance with the bills out there right now that PA could change or scratch the current phase out plan for EUC ? I started collecting UC at the beginning of April and am now into my 8th week of my initial 26 weeks of UC. Right now the way that it is outlined on the PA website I will be eligible for the additional 20 EUC weeks because my original 26 weeks ends before Dec 24th, so I will be able to move into tier 1 EUC. Just trying to plan ahead.

Thanks, Ed

munster05 wrote:Realistically is there a chance with the bills out there right now that PA could change or scratch the current phase out plan for EUC ? I started collecting UC at the beginning of April and am now into my 8th week of my initial 26 weeks of UC. Right now the way that it is outlined on the PA website I will be eligible for the additional 20 EUC weeks because my original 26 weeks ends before Dec 24th, so I will be able to move into tier 1 EUC. Just trying to plan ahead.

Thanks, Ed

Right now, you can't plan on those 20 weeks of Tier 1, especially in PA, where the UE rate has fallen under 8% and has a high debt to the Federal government for their underfunded state unemployment progam.

HR 1745 is expected to hit the House floor this week. The provisions of that bill "gut" EUC08 and will put the money in the hands of the state, rather than the individual. The state may choose to offer it as a tax incentive for businesses to hire, pay back their debt to the Feds, retraining or they can continue to pay the way it is in place now.

The best thing you can do to plan ahead is to keep track of this bill, which threatens to stop individual payments of the tier money as soon as July 6.

The text of the bill can be found here: http://waysandmeans.house.gov/UploadedFiles/HR_1745_AINS_051011.pdf

More information from the House Ways & Means Committee on the bill can be found here:
http://www.unemployed-friends2.org/t2297-house-ways-means-summary-of-hr-1745-hearing

There is also a widget from OpenCongress.org that is tracking this bill on the right side of of our forum homepage.

Please don't assume that the 20 weeks will be there when your initial UI ends. This proposed piece of legislation dismantles the compromised legislation that was signed into law in December 2010.

I think many people who are currently receiving payments from EUC08 could be in for a rude awakening if they don't take action now!