Emergency unemployment benefits program ends this month

MOSES LAKE - A few hundred Grant and Adams county residents will lose their emergency unemployment benefits once the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program shuts off next week.

Under federal law, the entire EUC program is scheduled to shut down on Dec. 28, according to the state Employment Security Department. The agency will not be able to pay EUC benefits after next week, even if residents have money in their account, according to a recent ESD news release.

EUC is a federal extension that provides additional weeks of unemployment benefits after someone has run out of regular unemployment benefits. The program pays a maximum of 43 weeks of additional unemployment benefits in a series of four tiers, according to the ESD.

As of Dec. 8, tiers 1 through 3 were available in Washington.

However, the congressional budget agreement announced on Dec. 11 does not include a provision to continue the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, according to the ESD.

This translates to about 25,000 Washington residents losing their benefits on Dec. 28. In Grant County, about 291 residents will be affected.

In Adams County, 35 residents will lose their benefits, according to ESD data.

If Congress votes to continue the program, ESD will automatically notify residents of potential eligibility, according to their release.

ESD has posted more information about the program shut off on their website, www.esd.wa.gov.

In addition, residents can contact the EUC claims center at 877-558-8509 with any questions.