§352. Benefits
(a) Days for which benefits payable; determination of amount
(1)(A)(i) Except as otherwise provided in this subparagraph, benefits shall be payable to any qualified employee for each day of unemployment in excess of 4 during any registration period.
(ii) No benefits shall be payable for days of unemployment during the first registration period within a benefit year in which the employee has more than 4 days of unemployment.
(iii) In any case in which the Board finds that an employee's unemployment was due to a stoppage of work because of a strike in the establishment, premises, or enterprise at which such employee was last employed, no benefits shall be payable for the first 14 days of unemployment due to such stoppage of work. However, for subsequent days of unemployment due to such stoppage of work, benefits shall be payable to days in excess of 4 during any registration period.
(B)(i) Except as otherwise provided in this subparagraph, benefits shall be payable to any qualified employee for each day of sickness after the 4th consecutive day of sickness in a period of continuing sickness but excluding 4 days of sickness in any registration period.
(ii) No benefits shall be payable for days of sickness in the first registration period within a benefit year in which the employee has both 4 consecutive days of sickness and more than 4 days of sickness.
(iii) For the purposes of this subparagraph, a period of continuing sickness means (I) a period of consecutive days of sickness, whether from one or more causes, or (II) a period of successive days of sickness due to a single cause without interruption of more than 90 consecutive days which are not days of sickness.
(2) The daily benefit rate with respect to any such employee for such day of unemployment or sickness shall be in an amount equal to 60 per centum of the daily rate of compensation for the employee's last employment in which he engaged for an employer in the base year, but not less than $12.70: Provided, however, That for registration periods beginning after June 30, 1975, but before July 1, 1976, such amount shall not exceed $24 per day of such unemployment or sickness, that for registration periods beginning after June 30, 1976, but before July 1, 1988, such amount shall not exceed $25 per day of such unemployment or sickness, that for registration periods beginning after June 30, 1988, but before July 1, 1989, such amount shall not exceed $30 per day of unemployment or sickness, and that for registration periods beginning after June 30, 1989, such amount shall not exceed the maximum daily benefit rate provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection. The daily rate of compensation referred to in this paragraph shall be determined by the Board on the basis of information furnished to the Board by the employee, his employer, or both.
(3)(A) The maximum daily benefit rate which the Board is required to compute under section 362(r)(2) of this title shall be the amount computed pursuant to the following formula, but shall be not less than $30:
A^600 | ||||||
BR=25 | ( | 1+ | ----- | ) | ||
900 |
(B) For purposes of such formula-
(i) "BR" represents the maximum daily benefit rate; and
(ii) "A" represents the amount obtained by dividing the amount of the "applicable base" with respect to tier 1 taxes as determined under section 3231(e)(2) of title 26 for the calendar year in which the benefit year begins by 60, with this quotient being rounded down to the nearest multiple of $100.
(C) If the maximum daily benefit rate computed under such formula is not a multiple of $1, it shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of $1, with such rounding being upward in the event the amount computed is equidistant between two multiples of $1.
(4) In computing benefits to be paid, days of unemployment shall not be combined with days of sickness in the same registration period.
(b) Time of payments
The benefits provided for in this section shall be paid to an employee at such reasonable intervals as the Board may prescribe.
(c) Maximum number of benefit days
The maximum number of days of unemployment within a benefit year for which benefits may be paid to an employee shall be one hundred and thirty, and the maximum number of days of sickness within a benefit year for which benefits may be paid to an employee shall be one hundred and thirty: Provided, however, That the total amount of benefits which may be paid to an employee for days of unemployment within a benefit year shall in no case exceed the employee's compensation in the base year; and the total amount of benefits which may be paid to an employee for days of sickness within a benefit year shall in no case exceed the employee's compensation in the base year except that notwithstanding the provisions of section 351(i) of this title, in determining the employee's compensation in the base year for purposes of this proviso and the second proviso of this subsection, any money remuneration paid to the employee for services rendered as an employee shall be taken into account that is not in excess of $775 in any month before 1989 and, in any month in a base year after 1988, is not in excess of an amount that bears the same ratio to $775 as the monthly compensation base for that year as computed under section 351(i) of this title bears to $600: Provided further, That, with respect to an employee who has less than ten years of service as defined in section 231(f) of this title, who did not voluntarily retire and did not voluntarily leave work without good cause, and who had current rights to normal benefits for days of unemployment in a benefit year but has exhausted such rights, the maximum number of days of, and amount of payment for, unemployment within such benefit year (as extended by the provisions of subsection (h) of this section) for which benefits may be paid shall be enlarged, but not by more than sixty-five days, to include all compensable days of unemployment within an extended benefit period determined pursuant to the provisions of subsection (h) of this section, but the total amount of benefits which may be paid to an employee for days of unemployment within such extended benefit period shall in no case exceed 50 per centum of the employee's compensation in the base year: And provided further, That, with respect to an employee who has ten or more years of service as defined in section 231(f) of this title, who did not voluntarily retire and (in a case involving exhaustion of rights to benefits for days of unemployment) did not voluntarily leave work without good cause, and who had current rights to normal benefits for days of unemployment or days of sickness in a benefit year but has exhausted such rights, the benefit year in which such rights are exhausted shall be deemed not to be ended until the last day of the extended benefit period determined under the following schedule, and the maximum number of days of, and amount of payment for, unemployment or sickness (depending on the type of benefit rights exhausted) within such benefit year for which benefits may be paid to the employee shall be enlarged to include all compensable days of unemployment or days of sickness, as the case may be within such extended benefit period:
If the employee's "years of service" total- |
The extended benefit period shall begin on the first day of unemployment or sickness, as the case may be, following the day on which the employee exhausted his then current rights to normal benefits for days of unemployment or days of sickness and shall continue for successive fourteen-day periods (each of which period shall constitute a registration period) until the number of such fourteen-day periods totals- |
10 and less than 15 | 7 (but not more than 65 days) |
15 and over | 13 |
but no such extended benefit period shall extend beyond the beginning of the first registration period in a benefit year in which the employee is again qualified for benefits in accordance with section 353 of this title on the basis of compensation earned after the first of such successive fourteen-day periods has begun. For an employee who has ten or more years of service, who did not voluntarily retire and (in a case involving unemployment) did not voluntarily leave work without good cause, who has fourteen or more consecutive days of unemployment, or fourteen or more consecutive days of sickness, and who is not a "qualified employee" for the general benefit year current when such unemployment or sickness commences but is or becomes a "qualified employee" for the next succeeding general benefit year, such succeeding benefit year shall, in his case, begin on the first day of the month in which such unemployment or sickness commences. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this subsection, an extended benefit period for sickness benefits shall terminate on the day next preceding the date on which the employee attains age 65, except that it may continue for the purpose of the payment of unemployment benefits; and, in the case of a succeeding benefit year beginning in accordance with the next preceding sentence by reason of sickness, such sentence shall not operate to permit the payment of benefits in the period provided for in such sentence for any day of sickness beginning with the day on which age 65 is attained and continuing through the day preceding the first day of the next succeeding general benefit year. For purposes of this subsection, the Board may rely on evidence of age available in its records and files at the time determinations of age are made.
(d) Overpayment of benefits; recovery; liability of officers
If the Board finds that at any time more than the correct amount of benefits has been paid to any individual under this chapter or a payment has been made to an individual not entitled thereto (including payments made prior to July 1, 1940), recovery by adjustments in subsequent payments to which such individual is entitled under this chapter or any other Act administered by the Board may, except as otherwise provided in this subsection, be made under regulations prescribed by the Board. If such individual dies before recovery is completed, recovery may be made by set-off or adjustments, under regulations prescribed by the Board, in subsequent payments due, under this chapter or any other Act administered by the Board, to the estate, designee, next of kin, legal representative, or surviving spouse of such individual, with respect to the employment of such individual.
Adjustments under this subsection may be made either by deductions from subsequent payments or, with respect to payments which are to be made during a lifetime or lifetimes, by subtracting the total amount of benefits paid in excess of the proper amount from the actuarial value, as determined by the Board, of such payments to be made during a lifetime or lifetimes and recertifying such payments on the basis of the reduced actuarial value. In the latter case, recovery shall be deemed to have been completed upon such recertification.
There shall be no recovery in any case in which more than the correct amount of benefits has been paid to an individual or payment has been made to an individual not entitled thereto (including payments made prior to July 1, 1940) who, in the judgment of the Board, is without fault when, in the judgment of the Board, recovery would be contrary to the purpose of this chapter or would be against equity or good conscience.
No certifying or disbursing officer shall be held liable for any amount certified or paid by him in good faith to any person where the recovery of such amount is waived under the third paragraph of this subsection or has been begun but cannot be completed under the first paragraph of this subsection.
(e) Assignment, taxation, garnishment, attachment, etc., of benefits
Notwithstanding any other law of the United States, or of any State, Territory, or the District of Columbia, no benefits shall be assignable or be subject to any tax or to garnishment, attachment, or other legal process under any circumstances whatsoever, nor shall the payment thereof be anticipated.
(f) Effect of payment of benefits for remunerable period; payment of surplus remuneration to Board
If (i) benefits are paid to any employee with respect to unemployment or sickness in any registration period, and it is later determined that remuneration is payable to such employee with respect to any period which includes days in such registration period which had been determined to be days of unemployment or sickness, and (ii) the person or company from which such remuneration is payable has, before payment thereof, notice of the payment of benefits upon the basis of days of unemployment or sickness included in such period, the remuneration so payable shall not be reduced by reason of such benefits but the remuneration so payable, to the extent to which benefits were paid upon the basis of days which had been determined to be days of unemployment or sickness and which are included in the period for which such remuneration is payable, shall be held to be a special fund in trust for the Board. The amount of such special fund shall be paid to the Board and in the collection thereof the Board shall have the same authority, and the same penalties shall apply, as are provided in section 358 of this title with respect to contributions. The proceeds of such special fund shall be credited to the account. Such benefits, to the extent that they are represented in such a special fund which has been collected by the Board, shall be disregarded for the purposes of subsection (c) of this section.
(g) Payment of accrued benefits upon death
Benefits accrued to an individual but not yet paid at death shall, upon certification by the Board, be paid, without necessity of filing further claims therefor, to the same individual or individuals to whom any accrued annuities under section 231e(a)(1) of this title are paid. In the event that no such accrued annuities are paid, and if application for such accrued benefits is filed prior to the expiration of two years after the death of the individual to whom such benefits accrued, such accrued benefits shall be paid, upon certification by the Board, to the individual or individuals who would be entitled thereto under section 231e(a)(1) of this title if such accrued benefits were accrued annuities. If there is no individual to whom all or any part of such accrued benefits can be paid in accordance with the foregoing provisions, such benefits or part thereof shall escheat to the credit of the account.
(h)(1) Extended benefit period
For purposes of the second proviso of subsection (c) of this section, an extended benefit period, with respect to an employee, shall begin on the first day of unemployment within a period of high unemployment following the day on which the employee exhausted his then current rights to normal benefits for unemployment and shall continue for seven successive fourteen-day periods (each of which periods shall constitute a registration period). If the general benefit year in which an employee's extended benefit period began ends within such extended benefit period, such benefit year shall, in the case of such employee, be deemed not to be ended until the last day of the extended benefit period. If an employee unemployed within a period of high unemployment is not a "qualified employee" for the general benefit year then current but was a "qualified employee" for the preceding general benefit year, such preceding general benefit year shall, for purposes of the second proviso of subsection (c) of this section, in the case of such employee, be deemed not to be ended until the last day of such employee's extended benefit period determined pursuant to the provisions of this subsection.
(2) Period of high unemployment
For purposes of subdivision (1) of this subsection, a "period of high unemployment" shall begin with the twentieth day after whichever of the following first occurs: (A) there is a national "on" indicator as defined in section 203(d) of
(3) Rate of railroad unemployment
For purposes of subdivision (2) of this subsection, the term "rate of railroad unemployment" for a month means the percentage arrived at by dividing (A) the average weekly number of individuals who filed bona fide claims for benefits for days of unemployment in such month, excluding from such number those individuals whose unemployment was due to a stoppage of work because of a strike, lockout, or other labor dispute, by (B) the average midmonth count of employees of class I railroads and class I switching and terminal companies, as reported to the Interstate Commerce Commission, adjusted, as determined by the Board, to include all employees covered by this chapter for the twelve months ending with the second calendar quarter preceding such month.
(4) Determination of period of high unemployment; publication in Federal Register: notice of determination and formulas for mid-month and seasonal adjustments
Determinations under this subsection shall be made by the Board in accordance with regulations prescribed by it. When a determination has been made that a "period of high unemployment" is beginning or ending, the Board shall cause notice of such determination to be published in the Federal Register. The Board shall also cause to be published in the Federal Register the formula which it uses to adjust the mid-month count of employees of class I railroads and class I switching and terminal companies to include all employees covered by this chapter, and the formula it uses to make seasonal adjustments in the rate of railroad unemployment.
(June 25, 1938, ch. 680, §2,
References in Text
Section 203(d) of
Amendments
1988-Subsec. (a)(1).
Subsec. (a)(2).
Subsec. (a)(3).
Subsec. (a)(4).
Subsec. (c).
1983-Subsec. (a).
1975-Subsec. (a), first par.
Subsec. (a), second par.
Subsec. (c).
Subsec. (h).
1974-Subsec. (c).
Subsec. (g).
1968-Subsec. (a).
Subsec. (c).
1966-Subsec. (a).
Subsec. (g).
1959-Subsec. (a).
Subsec. (c).
1955-Subsec. (e). Act Aug. 12, 1955, specified that exemption applies to the laws of the several States, the District of Columbia, and the Territories.
1954-Subsec. (a). Act Aug. 31, 1954, §304(a), changed the table of daily benefit rates and qualifying amounts of earnings in the base year so that such rates and amounts will begin with $3.50 and $4.00, respectively, to a maximum of $8.50 for $4,000 and over, and inserted proviso immediately after the table.
Subsec. (c). Act Aug. 31, 1954, §304(b), inserted proviso at end.
1952-Subsec. (a). Act May 15, 1952, substituted a new table of daily benefit rates.
1946-Subsec. (a). Act July 31, 1946, §305, changed first and second pars. to include benefits for days of sickness, changed reference to total amount of compensation payable to him in second par. to total compensation, added new benefit rates to table for compensation of $2,000 to $2,499.99 and $2,500 and over, and added last two pars. relating to maternity benefits and to computation of benefits.
Subsec. (c). Act July 31, 1946, §306, increased maximum days of unemployment to 130 and established same maximum for days of sickness.
Subsec. (f). Act July 31, 1946, §307, inserted references to sickness.
1940-Subsec. (a). Act Oct. 10, 1940, §9, designated existing provisions as cl. (i), substituted registration period for half-month as determining factor, added cl. (ii), and increased total compensation amounts set out in Column I and daily benefit amounts set out in Column II.
Subsec. (c). Act Oct. 10, 1940, §10, substituted provisions relating to maximum number of days of unemployment within a benefit year, for provisions relating to maximum benefits payable to an employee within his benefit year.
Subsec. (d). Act Oct. 10, 1940, §11, substituted provisions relating to adjustments for erroneous payments and procedure for recovery of such payments, for provisions making applicable section 228i of this title for adjustments and recovery of erroneous payments.
Subsec. (f). Act Oct. 10, 1940, §12, in cl. (i) substituted provisions relating to registration periods for provisions relating to benefits paid with respect to any period, and in text following cl. (ii) inserted condition relating to benefits which were paid upon the basis of days determined to be days of unemployment and included in the period for which remuneration is payable.
1939-Subsec. (a). Act June 20, 1939, §7, struck out exception relating to part-time workers.
Subsec. (d). Act June 20, 1939, §§8, 9, redesignated subsec. (e) as (d). Former subsec. (d), which authorized Board to prescribe regulations for determining amount of daily benefits and maximum benefits during any benefit year, was struck out.
Subsec. (e). Act June 20, 1939, §9, redesignated subsec. (f) as (e). Former subsec. (e) redesignated (d).
Subsecs. (f), (g). Act June 20, 1939, §9, redesignated subsec (g) as (f) and struck out reference to subsec. (a). Former subsec. (f) redesignated (e).
Effective Date of 1988 Amendment
Section 7201(b) of
"(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the amendments made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 10, 1988].
"(2) The amendments made by paragraph (2) of subsection (a) shall apply with respect to registration periods beginning after June 30, 1988."
Effective Date of 1983 Amendment
Section 412(b) of
Effective Date of 1975 Amendment; Reduction of Benefits in View of Coverage Under Nongovernmental Plan; Filing Claims for Payments to Insurers and Employers
Amendment by section 1(c), (d)(1) of
Effective Date of 1974 Amendment
Amendment by
Effective Date of 1968 Amendment
Section 208 of
Effective Date of 1959 Amendment
Amendment by
Effective Date of 1955 Amendment
Section 4 of act Aug. 12, 1955, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective as of the date of its "original enactment" [June 25, 1938].
Effective Date of 1954 Amendment
Amendment by act Aug. 31, 1954, effective July 1, 1954, see section 401 of act Aug. 31, 1954, set out as a note under section 351 of this title.
Effective Date of 1952 Amendment
Section 3 of act May 15, 1952, provided that: "The amendments made by this Act [amending this section and section 353 of this title] shall be effective with respect to benefit years beginning on and after July 1, 1952."
Effective Date of 1946 Amendment
Amendment by section 306 of act July 31, 1946, effective July 1, 1946, see section 402 of that Act.
Section 403 of act July 31, 1946, provided that: "Sections 301, 302, 303, 304, 305 (except for the revision of the table which shall become effective on the date of enactment of this Act [July 31, 1946]), 307, 308, 309, and 310 [amending sections 351 to 354 of this title] shall become effective on July 1, 1947."
Effective Date of 1940 Amendment
For effective date of amendment by act Oct. 10, 1940, see section 1 of act Oct. 10, 1940, set out as a note under section 351 of this title.
Extended Railroad Unemployment Insurance Benefits During Periods of High National Unemployment
"(a)
"(b)
"(1)
"(2)
"(3)
"(c)
"(d)
"(1)
"(A) subsection (c) of this section shall be applied by substituting '130' for '65';
"(B) section 2(c) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act [45 U.S.C. 352(c)] shall be applied-
"(i) by substituting '13 (but not more than 130 days)' for '7 (but not more than 65 days)' in the table; and
"(ii) by substituting 'but not by more than 130 days' for 'but not by more than sixty-five days' in the second proviso; and
"(C) section 2(h)(1) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act [45 U.S.C. 352(h)(1)] shall be applied by substituting '13' for 'seven'.
"(2)
"(A)
"(B)
"(i) Effective on and after the date on which a reduction in benefits is imposed under section 102(b)(2)(A)(iii) [section 102(b)(2)(A)(iii) of
"(ii) Effective after October 2, 1993, subparagraph (A) of this paragraph and subparagraphs (B) and (C) of paragraph (1) shall not apply and subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) shall be applied by substituting '35' for '130'.
"(C)
"(e)
[Section 3(c) of
[Amendments made by
GAO Study of Fraud and Payment Errors
Section 7107 of
"(1) estimates of rates and amounts of annual losses due to fraud and overpayment;
"(2) comparisons of such rates with the rates of losses in other Federal programs which experience such losses;
"(3) recommendations for legislative measures that could be taken to reduce the losses in the railroad unemployment compensation program arising from fraud and payment errors; and
"(4) such other matters relating to such fraud and payment errors as the Comptroller General determines are appropriate."
Benefits for Certain Employees Who Exhausted Rights to Benefits Before April 1, 1959
Section 303(b) of
Interchange of Information Between Secretary of Labor and Railroad Retirement Board
Section 303(c) of
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 351, 355, 360, 362, 368 of this title; title 26 sections 105, 3231.