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TOPEKA – Unemployed Kansans now have the potential to receive up to 13 weeks of additional unemployment insurance (UI) benefits through the state extended benefits program. The program triggers on when the state’s seasonally adjusted total unemployment rate is 6.5 percent or more for three consecutive months, a condition Kansas has met. Potentially eligible individuals are being mailed applications from the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL). To be eligible to receive the state extended benefits, individuals will need to have exhausted their federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits, both Tier I and Tier II. "By the time an individual is eligible for the state extended benefits, they will have been unemployed for a minimum of five months and many will have been unemployed longer," said Kansas Secretary of Labor Jim Garner. "Unfortunately, given the current state of the economy, there are far too many Kansans who will find themselves in this situation, so we're thankful to be able to offer this additional assistance to help them meet their daily expenses." The first week a claimant in Kansas would have been eligible to receive EB benefits was the week ending Aug. 8. Those who have exhausted their EUC Tier I and Tier II benefits will be directly notified by KDOL of their potential eligibility for these additional extended benefits and will receive an application by mail. Instructions for applying for the state extended benefits will be included in the notification. Traditionally, state extended benefits are funded partially through the state's UI Trust fund and partially from federal funds. However, under a provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, state extended benefits will be funded wholly through federal funds for the remainder of 2009 in most cases. More information about state extended benefits and eligibility criteria can be found in Frequently Asked Questions. Kansas Department of Labor News Room Kansas Department of Labor News Room Archive
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