“New Federal Unemployment Insurance Extensions:

Congress recently approved legislation providing further unemployment extension benefits. It provides the potential for up to 20 additional weeks of benefits for higher unemployment states, including California. If the legislation approved by Congress is signed by the President and enacted this week, then Sunday, November 8, 2009, becomes the first eligible week for the new benefits. Any time spent unemployed and without benefits before then is not covered by the new federal legislation.

The new extensions will require complex programming to implement once authorized. EDD is working around the clock to ensure payments can be made as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, there is no need to contact EDD. We will be contacting potentially eligible claimants and notifying them of developments. Once programming is in place we will follow up with further instructions and automatically file the extensions for as many of our clients as possible. We may also need to contact some clients at that time and request further information. Please watch this Web site for further updates.”