The Trade Act

Program

A general overview
Please contact your local TAA
Representative for the details!
What is the Trade Act?
 A national program based on
Federal law
 Available to trade affected workers
anywhere in the United States
What does Trade Act
include?
Two Major Components
 TAA - Trade Adjustment

Assistance
 TRA - Trade Readjustment

Allowance
Trade Adjustment
Assistance (TAA)
 Reemployment Services
 Training

 Job Search

 Relocation
Trade Readjustment
Allowance (TRA)

 Additional Unemployment
Benefits
TAA Benefits
Based on
 Availability of Federal Funds

 Renewal of Trade Act Law

 Individual Eligibility
Reemployment Services
 Job Search Assistance
 Job Match
 Job Openings
 Career Information
 Labor Market Conditions
 Veteran’s Services
Accessing Reemployment
Services
 www.workinginoregon.org
 Employment Department Offices
 One Stop Centers
 “Touchscreen” Kiosks Statewide
TAA Training
 Remedial Training
 Classroom Training
 Employer Based Training
 On the Job Training
 Customized Training
TAA Training provides:
 Costs that are required for all
students in the same training
program:
 Tuition/Fees
 Books
 Supplies
 Tools
 Lodging, meals, mileage if out of area
Funding for Individual
Training Plans

Up to $12,000 for all training

related costs
(excludes per diem or
mileage)
Training Plan Rules
 One training plan
 104 week limit for occupational training
 130 week limit if remedial training is
required
 Full Time
 Advance approval
 30 day prior approval limit
Training Plan Approval
Criteria
 No suitable work available
 Must be job ready after training
 Reasonable expectation of employment
 Training available, local priority
 Qualified to undertake & complete
 Able to support yourself
 Must be suitable & at a reasonable cost
Job Search Allowance
 No suitable work available
 Apply & be approved in advance
 $1250 maximum
 Time limits:
 365 days from certification or layoff
date
 182 days after training completed
Relocation Allowance
 No suitable work available
 Apply & be approved in advance
 $1250 Lump Sum
 Verifiable job offer
 Time limits:
 425 days from certification or layoff date
 182 days after training completed
Trade Readjustment
Allowances (TRA)
 3 types of TRA
 Strict deadlines
 Must meet eligibility requirements
 Based on individual
TRA Requirements
 Be covered by a certification
 Have a “qualifying” lay off of at least 7
consecutive days
 Worked for affected employer
 At least 26 of last 52 weeks
 Earned at least $30 in each of those weeks
 Be entitled to & exhausted all regular and
extended unemployment benefits
TRA Deadlines
 To collect any TRA, must be accepted by
training facility & approved or be on a
waiver of training by:
 Last day of 16th week after the week of most
recent qualifying layoff
OR
 Last day of 8th week after the week of

certification
 45 day extension from either deadline for
justifiable cause, for training only
Waiver of Training for TRA

 If unable to meet deadlines for

being approved & enrolled in
training, you must contact your TAA
representative and request a
Waiver of Training to preserve your
TRA potential!!
TRA Benefit Amount
 TRA Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA)
is based on the first claim you filed
after the impact date.
 This first claim is your “parent”
claim.
TRA
 Three “Pots of Money” possible
 TRA Basic
 TRA Additional
 TRA Remedial
TRA Basic
 26 times your TRA weekly benefit
amount (minus federally funded
extensions)
 104 week time limit from most recent
qualifying layoff
 3 ways to collect:
 In approved training
 Completed training & looking for work
 Waiver of Training
TRA Additional
 Apply for training within 210 days of
most recent qualifying layoff or
certification date, whichever is later
 52 week eligibility period starting after
your last week of TRA Basic or end of
TRA 104 week eligibility period
 If training starts later, 52 week eligibility
period starts with 1st week of training.
 Must be in approved TAA Training
TRA Remedial
 Have exhausted all other benefits
 26 week eligibility period starting after
your last week of TRA Additional or end
of 52 week eligibility period
 If 210 day deadline not met for TRA
Additional, the 26 week period starts
after last week of TRA Basic or end of
104 week eligibility period
 One week of TRA remedial for one week
of remedial classes
Maximum Potential of TRA
 104 Total Weeks of TRA Possible
 26 weeks of Basic TRA
 52 weeks of Additional TRA
 26 weeks of Remedial TRA

 Based on individual eligibility

TRA Reminders
 Cannot be paid for breaks over 30
days
 Must file a new UI claim if you
become eligible
 May be reduced by earnings or
deductible income
 Taxable as income
 Taxes can be withheld
Health Coverage Tax
Credit (HCTC)

A Federal tax credit of 65%

on a qualified health plan
managed by the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS)
Who is Eligible for HCTC?
 Recipients of any type of TRA
 Claiming UI or extension and
otherwise would be eligible for TRA
 Recipients of ATAA
 If eligible for any day of the month,
would qualify for entire month
Qualified Health Plans
 COBRA continuation coverage
 Spousal coverage plan (no advance
payment, year end only)
 Individual (non-group) health
coverage that began 30 days before
layoff
 State Qualified Coverage (not
available in Oregon at this time)
Two ways to claim HCTC
 Advance payments on monthly
basis to pay for health plan
premiums. IRS mails packet of
information to set this up.
 Claim HCTC at end of year when
federal tax return is filed. IRS
mails form 8885 directly to you.
How do I apply?
 If you are eligible, your name & address
will be submitted to the IRS.
 The list is updated & sent nightly to IRS.
 IRS mails packet with forms to you to
complete and return to the IRS.
 The IRS will determine if you can claim
the tax credit and notify you by mail.
For more HCTC
Information
 Call the IRS Customer Contact Center at
866-628-HCTC (866-628-4282)
 Go to the IRS Website at WWW.IRS.gov
 Call your local TAA Representative for
questions about your eligibility to be on
the list that is sent to the IRS
Alternative Trade
Adjustment Assistance
(ATAA)
 Worker group determined eligible
by DOL
 Option for “Older” Trade Affected
Workers who want to go to work
not to school
 Provides a wage subsidy to bridge
the salary gap between old job and
new one
ATAA Requirements
 50 years old at time of reemployment.
 Job must be full time, 40 hours/week.
 Obtain new job within 26 weeks of lay off from
Trade Affected employer.
 Not expected to earn over $50,000 per year
 Cannot return to previous job
It’s Your Choice
ATAA TAA
 Wage Subsidy of  Training

up to $10,000  HCTC
during 2 years of  Job Search
eligibility Allowance
 HCTC
 Relocation
 Relocation
Allowance
Allowance
Any Questions?
Keep in mind this
presentation is a general
overview of a complex
program!
Call the expert,
your local TAA
Representative,
for the details and answers to