Requirements for Income Support (TRA) / Old Requirements: Petitions Numbered Below 70,000 / New Requirements: Petitions Numbered Above 70,001
Deadlines / - Later of 8 weeks from certification or 16 weeks from job separation.
- Must make a bona fide application for training within the later of 210 days of certification or separation / - Later of 26 weeks from certification or separation.
- Eliminates 210 deadline.
Good Cause Provision / No good cause provision / Adds good cause provision that:
- provides an exception to the enrollment dates when the state failed to provide the worker with timely information regarding the training enrollment deadlines
- Allows for an extension (up to an additional 45 days) of the enrollment date if the state determines extenuating circumstances justify the extension. Extenuating circumstances can include circumstances beyond the control of the worker such as the abrupt cancellation of training programs, illness or injury of the worker prevents participation in the training.
- Allows for the eligibility period of basic TRA to change if the petition is certified due to a judicial or administrative appeal. Allows “good cause” provision to justify extending the period during which TRA are payable. Changes dates only not maximum amount of the allowances.
- Allows states to apply their “good cause” provision to all time limitations governing TRA and enrollment in training
Amount of Additional TRA / 52 weeks of benefits / 78 weeks of benefits
Payment of Additional TRA / Must be paid in 52 consecutive weeks / Can pay over a 91 week period
Remedial Training / 26 additional weeks if remedial training was required and training program extended / 26 additional week for prerequisite training as well as remedial[156 weeks including UI entitlement]
Enrolled in Training / Individual must be enrolled in training within the week the waiver terminates / Individual must be enrolled in training within 30 days after the date on which the waiver is terminated.
Pre-separation Training / Not allowed / Allows for pre-separation training but does not change the fact that an individual is only allowed one training program per certification. A training program begun prior to separation counts as that one training program.
Part-time Training / Not allowed / Allowed, but TRA is not payable if the individual is participating in part-time training.
Working while receiving TRA/TRX (Additional TRA) / Individuals must report gross wages which are deducted from their TRA weekly earning amount / If working while in full time training, the earnings will not be deducted from their TRA unless the earnings exceed their TRA weekly benefit amount.
Choice of UI vs. TRA / No choice, if qualified for new benefit year on UI, individual must stop TRA/TRX and file for UI even at a lower WBA / Allows trade effected workers to elect to receive TRA instead of UI based upon a second UI benefit year based upon part-time or short-term employment with a lower WBA (Weekly Benefit Amount).
ATAA and RTAA Programs
Program / ATAA(Alternate Trade Adjustment Assistance)
Available to Workers Covered by Petitions Numbered Below 70,000 / RTAA
(Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance)
Available to Workers Covered by Petitions Numbered Above 70,001
Age requirement: / 50 years / 50 years
ATAA approved: / Requires a separate certification of group eligibility / Does not require a separate certification of group eligibility
TRA Participant: / Workers may not participate in Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA)-approved training / Workers may participate in TAA approved training and receive TAA services & benefits
Deadline Date to Qualify: / Must be reemployed within 26 weeks from the separation date from the Trade-Effected Employer / Eliminates this requirement
Qualified Employment: / Requires full-time employment / Requires full-time employment, or allows part-time employment (at least 20 hours per week) if the worker is also enrolled in TAA-approved training
New Employer annual wage limit: / <$50,000 / <$55,000
Maximum Benefit Amount: / $10,000 / $12,000
Eligibility Period / 2- year period beginning the week reemployment begins / 2- year period beginning the week of reemployment or the week after exhausting UI benefits.
Health Care Tax Credit (HCTC): / Participants are eligible for the HCTC / Participants are eligible for the HCTC
Health Care Tax Credit (HCTC) Changes:
HCTC is increasing to 80% / The tax credit percentage will increase from 65% to 80%, beginning with April 2009 invoices to monthly HCTC participants.TAA recipient definition has changed / The definition of an eligible TAA recipient has changed to include individuals who are:
- receiving unemployment compensation, whether or not they meet the TAA enrollment in training requirements, and,
- individuals on a break in training that exceeds 30 days during the time frame covered by TRA.
New COBRA Premium Subsidies make individuals ineligible for the HCTC / If an individual elects the 65% COBRA Premium Subsidy from their employer – a new program established by the economic stimulus bill - it will disqualify the individual from receiving the 80% HCTC during that same month.
COBRA benefits have been extended / The maximum period for COBRA benefits now matches the maximum period for TAA eligibility.
HCTC Continuation for Family Members / Beginning in January 2010, qualified family members may continue receiving the HCTC for up to 24 months after the primary eligible individual is no longer receiving the HCTC due to certain life events, including divorce, death or enrollment in Medicare.
Retroactive HCTC payments will soon be available to monthly participants / Beginning in August 2009, newly-enrolled HCTC participants will be able to receive a credit on their HCTC account for qualified health insurance payments they paid while enrolling in the monthly HCTC Program.