Iowa Unemployment Extension

Extended Benefits (EB)

Extended Benefits (EB) in Iowa provide additional unemployment payments during times of high unemployment. The program follows federal and state laws, and the cost is shared by both. EB kicks in when the rate of insured unemployment in Iowa hits 5% or more and is also 120% higher than the same week’s rate in the past two years. It stops when these numbers fall below these levels.

Extended unemployment benefits can last for up to 13 weeks. The benefits amount is calculated the same as your regular Iowa unemployment benefits. You can receive EB up to half of your total regular benefits or for 13 weeks, whichever is smaller.

The state notifies you when the EB period starts or ends. To qualify, you need to have used up all other types of unemployment benefits and must have earnings at least 1.5 times your highest earning quarter. Like regular unemployment eligibility requirements, you must also be actively looking for work, and you’ll need to provide evidence of your job search.

Extended Benefits are currently not available in Iowa.

Training Extension Benefits (TEB)

Training Extension Benefits (TEB) in Iowa offers up to 26 extra weeks of unemployment insurance for people enrolled in approved job training programs. You can apply for TEB after you’ve used up all your standard and extended unemployment benefits.

To be eligible, you need to be in a training course that Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) approves. These could be courses that prepare you for high-demand or high-tech jobs. While you’re in training, you don’t have to participate in work search activities, but you do need to keep filing your weekly claims.

You can apply for TEB in several ways: take your application to a local IowaWORKS Center, fax it, or mail it. Your application should include details like the school’s name, type of training, and your class schedule. Make sure to apply within 30 days after your regular unemployment benefits run out.

If for some reason you leave the training program, it’s important to notify IWD immediately and stop filing your weekly claims. You’ll find out if you’re approved or denied in writing, and you can appeal a denial.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) offers temporary help to people who can’t work because of a major disaster. This program is for those who don’t qualify for regular unemployment benefits. The money for this comes from FEMA and is managed by Iowa Workforce Development.

To get these benefits, the president must declare a disaster in Iowa. Once that happens, there’s a public announcement to let people know they can apply for DUA.

You can qualify for DUA if:

• You lost your job or can’t work due to the disaster
• You can’t get to your workplace
• You were about to start a job that doesn’t exist anymore or can’t be reached
• You must support your household because the head of the household died in the disaster
• You can’t work because of an injury from the disaster

The money you’ll get each week depends on how much you usually earn. For workers, it’s based on gross wages, but for the self-employed, it’s based on net income. The formula for calculating the weekly benefit is the same as for regular unemployment benefits. But if what you’d get is less than half of Iowa’s average weekly unemployment benefit, you’ll be bumped up to that halfway point. If you’re a part-time worker, some different rules might apply.

You can generally get DUA payments from the week after the disaster starts up to the 26th week after the disaster is officially declared, as long as you’re still out of work and eligible. For more information about Iowa DUA, contact Iowa Workforce Development.

Expired Extensions – CARES Act

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted life globally, leading to massive job losses and altering how we work and interact. Health systems were strained, and many businesses had to close their doors or adapt quickly to new conditions. In response, the U.S. government passed the CARES Act, which expanded unemployment benefits, helping those who lost jobs or faced reduced hours to get through this tough period.

These federal benefits expired in Iowa on June 12, 2021.

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)

The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program in Iowa was a temporary relief measure for people who lost jobs due to COVID-19 but didn’t qualify for regular unemployment benefits. This program, part of the CARES Act, helped self-employed people, those with limited work history, and others who exhausted their usual benefits.

To be eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) in Iowa, you must have been unemployed or partly unemployed due to specific COVID-19 reasons. Examples included having COVID-19 symptoms, caring for someone with the virus, or being unable to work because your child’s school is closed due to COVID-19. Other acceptable reasons were quarantine orders, advice to self-quarantine, job loss due to the pandemic, or becoming the main income source because a household member died from COVID-19.

Payments ranged from $203 to $605 per week, based on dependents. The program ended on June 12, 2021, and no further payments are being made.

Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC)

The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program in Iowa was part of the CARES Act of 2020. It offered extra unemployment benefits to people who had already used up their regular state or federal unemployment insurance. The program was funded by the federal government and lasted until June 12, 2021.

To qualify for PEUC, you had to have run out of all other unemployment benefits. You also needed to be ready and looking for work, except if COVID-19 made that impossible. It was also a must to keep records of your job search and report any money you made while claiming PEUC benefits.

However, you couldn’t get PEUC if you could work from home with your usual pay or if you were getting paid leave that was more than the PEUC weekly amount.

Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC)

Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) in Iowa was part of the CARES Act. The program provided extra money to people getting unemployment benefits.

Originally, FPUC added $600 per week to other unemployment benefits. This lasted until July 31, 2020. After that, the program resumed on December 26, 2020, but the extra amount dropped to $300 per week.

To get FPUC money, you had to be already receiving some form of unemployment benefit like regular unemployment insurance, PEUC, or PUA. The program was funded by the federal government and ended on June 12, 2021.