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Unemployment Help Center

Nikki from Houston asks:

How do extended benefits work?

Statepay support representative suggests:

If you’ve used up your regular unemployment benefits, and you live in a state experiencing “high unemployment,” you may qualify for up to an additional 13 weeks of unemployment.

So what constitutes high unemployment? The formula is complicated, but basically, if your state’s unemployment rate is higher than usual for that state when compared to similar periods or above 6 percent, you may qualify for extended benefits. If this occurs, your state will notify anyone who has received all their regular benefits that additional benefits may be available to them.