The
Montana Department of Labor & Industry (DLI) announced today that Montana
is offering Extended Benefits for eligible individuals who exhaust their
previous Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits.
Under
state and federal law, Extended Benefits offers up to 13 weeks of additional
benefits to those who have exhausted regular UI benefits and Pandemic Emergency
Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) benefits. Extended Benefits were triggered by
the rise of Montana’s insured unemployment rate due to COVID-19. Other states
have also begun offering Extended Benefits based on their insured unemployment
rate.
Under regular UI, Montanans can
receive up to 28 weeks of benefits. The federal CARES Act provides PEUC
benefits for up to an additional 13 weeks. Extended Benefits are available
after PEUC benefits are exhausted. This extension of benefits is not available
to Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims for self-employed and other
populations expanded under the CARES Act. The last time Extended Benefits were
available in Montana was from February to June 2010 during the Great Recession.
When an individual is eligible for
Expanded Benefits, they will see the option to apply on their personal
MontanaWorks dashboard. Enrollment is not automatic; individuals will have to
file a claim. Filing an Extended Benefits claim follows the same process as
filling out a regular claim on MontanaWorks.
DLI
continues to encourage anyone who believes they may be eligible for UI to file
a claim online at MontanaWorks.gov, or at mtpua.mt.gov for those that fall
under the
Pandemic
Unemployment Assistance eligibility guidelines
.
Those with technical, eligibility,
or benefits questions are encouraged to view the COVID-19 resource website at
dli.mt.gov/covid-19. A variety of information for both
Montana workers and employers is available, including resources to help
claimants navigate the unemployment process. Claimants with questions specific
to Extended Benefits can call (406) 444-2556 for assistance.
About the
Montana Department of Labor & Industry
DLI exists to
promote and protect the well-being of Montana’s workers, employers, and
citizens; and to uphold their rights and responsibilities. DLI provides a
variety of services to support this mission, including Unemployment Insurance,
Workforce Development, Labor Market Information, Employment Relations, Safety
and Health, Professional Licensing, Building and Commercial Measurement, and
Weights and Measures. To learn more about Department services,
visit dli.mt.gov. Montanans can also follow DLI on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn for
timely updates.