CARSON CITY (KTNV) — The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) is providing information about next steps to claimants who filed for Unemployment Insurance at the beginning of the pandemic and are coming to the end of their benefit year.
According to federal rules, a regular Unemployment Insurance (UI) claim expires after one year. For example, many regular UI claims had a Benefit Year Begin (BYB) date of 3/15/2020, meaning they will have a Benefit Year End (BYE) date of 3/13/2021. Once claimants in the UI program get to their Benefit Year End, they are required to file a new UI claim to have their eligibility re-determined.
This does not apply to Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claims.
Here’s what claimants can expect:
- Claimants who are reaching their benefit year end will be prompted to file a new UI claim. This is required. Once claimants reach their benefit year end, they can no longer collect benefits on their original claim.
- Once a claimant has filed a new claim, they may see an issue labeled “Double Dip - UI” in their portal. This refers to the verification that must be done by DETR to see if the claimant qualifies to start a new claim. Claimants do not need to take any other action unless they are contacted by a claims representative.
- Claimants who returned to work and earned at least three times their weekly benefit amount have met the double dip requirement and will (usually) be switched to the new claim.
- Claimants who had been collecting PEUC weeks may be eligible for a new UI benefit year. However, they must keep collecting PEUC if their new UI claim Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA) is at least $25 less than the WBA on their PEUC claim. They must also keep collecting PEUC if they have not earned 3x their weekly benefit amount with new employment.
- Claimants are also allowed to continue receiving PEUC benefits if they didn’t return to work or don’t have wages from the previous year.
Claimants should be aware that review of the double dip requirements may pause weekly benefit payments. Claimants should continue to file their weekly claims during this time.
After the staff reviews the file, eligible claimants will either have their claim moved to a new UI benefit year or continue on PEUC.
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DETR Director Cafferata said, “It’s been a year since the pandemic hit and so many Nevadans lost their jobs. Although as many as 100,000 people will need to file new claims under the federal rules, most of them will be able to continue collecting their benefits under PEUC. While our computer system temporarily holds payments when people get to the end of their Benefit Year, we are working to update that programming now so that claimants can continue to receive their benefits as soon as possible.”
The double dip issue does not apply to PUA claims.
For filing assistance, customers may reach out to the UI call centers between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday through Friday at (775) 684-0350; (702) 486-0350; or (888) 890-8211.The call centers continue to experience heavy call volume, so claimants are encouraged to call mid-week, Wednesday through Friday after 10 a.m.
