Alabama Department of Labor Commissioner Tom Surtees announced today that Alabama is no longer eligible for nine weeks of federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits. Alabama no longer meets the eligibility requirements for this particular tier of benefits, known as Tier 3, because the state’s average three month unemployment rate fell below 7.0% with January 2013’s rate announcement.

Following federal end-of-year revisions, Alabama’s November 2012 rate (6.9%), December 2012 rate (6.8%), and January 2013 rate (6.9%) average to a rate of 6.9%, which is below the 7.0% threshold needed to qualify for these weeks of benefits.

Unemployed Alabamians are now currently eligible for up to 54 weeks of unemployment compensation (UC) benefits. The state of Alabama is responsible for paying up to the first 26 weeks of benefits, known as “regular” UC. Any additional weeks are paid by the federal government.

The Internal Revenue Service today announced a nationwide expansion of the program designed to help law enforcement obtain tax return data vital to their local efforts in investigating and prosecuting specific cases of identity theft.

More than 1,560 waiver requests have been received since the Law Enforcement Assistance Program’s inception from over 100 state and local law enforcement agencies in the nine states participating in the pilot. The expansion covers all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia and will be effective Friday, March 29, 2013.

“The results of the pilot illustrate that this works as an innovative tool for law enforcement to help pursue tough identity theft situations,” said IRS Acting Commissioner Steven T. Miller. “This program is an effective way for law enforcement to work with the IRS to pursue identity thieves and protect taxpayers.