May 29, 2020

LINCOLN - Nebraska workers who have exhausted their state unemployment insurance benefits can apply for an extension of benefits through the federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program (PEUC). PEUC provides up to 13 weeks of additional assistance for people who exhausted their 26 weeks of state unemployment insurance benefits on or after July 6, 2019. The benefit is available for weeks ending Saturdays from April 4 to Dec. 26, 2020. 

File Weekly Claims at NEworks.nebraska.gov to Automatically Be Considered for Extension

• If you have an active claim in NEworks, continue to file weekly claims for each week that you are unemployed or your hours are reduced. 
• If it has been at least two weeks since you have filed a weekly claim, reopen your claim, then file weekly claims. 
• If your claim has expired, file a new claim, then file weekly claims.
• There is not a special PEUC application.
• Benefits will be paid retroactively to the first week a person became eligible to receive those benefits.
• Both unemployed workers and those working reduced hours can apply for this benefit.

CARES Act 

PEUC is the third program of the federal CARES Act implemented by the Nebraska Department of Labor (NDOL).  Labor is also issuing payments for Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), the additional $600 per week benefit; and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which provides unemployment benefits for the self-employed, independent contractors, and others not traditionally eligible. For weeks ending April 4 through July 25, workers receiving either PEUC or PUA will automatically be paid an additional $600 each week through the FPUC program.

Unemployment Insurance Waivers Extended: The waivers of the requirements to search for work and serve an unpaid waiting week have been extended through August 1. Employer charging for benefits paid due to COVID-19 has also been waived through August 1.

More information and FAQs about the CARES Act programs can be found at dol.nebraska.gov/covid19.

Previous NDOL press releases are online at dol.nebraska.gov/PressRelease