INDIANAPOLIS  – The United States Department of Labor has notified the Indiana Department of Workforce Development that unemployed Hoosiers could be eligible for more benefits.

The Extended Benefits program provides federal reimbursement to the state for up to an additional 13 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits.

EB is triggered during different periods of high unemployment and is available to workers who have exhausted regular unemployment insurance benefits during periods of high unemployment.

Indiana’s unemployment rate currently exceeds the five percent threshold to trigger the extension.

Under traditional unemployment insurance (UI), claimants can receive up to 26 weeks of benefits.

The federal CARES Act provides Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) benefits for up to 13 additional weeks starting March 29, 2020.

Hoosiers may be eligible for the additional EB in the week ending July 4, 2020.

Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) continues to provide an additional $600 per week to claimants until July 25, 2020.

The CARES Act also expands the pool of claimants eligible to receive unemployment benefits to include self-employed, contract/gig workers, and those that were previously ineligible under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program.

Since the week ending in March 13, 2020, DWD has paid out $2.8 billion in unemployment insurance benefits.

To apply for unemployment insurance benefits, review Frequently Asked Questions or learn more about unemployment insurance benefits, visit www.Unemployment.IN.gov.