Trade Act Programs

The Petition Process for Trade Act Programs 1. A group of three or more workers, a company official, a union or other dually authorized representative, or a One-Stop operator can file a petition with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance (DTAA) and the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Coordinator of Dislocated Worker Unit of the state in which the employer is located. 2. After investigating the petition, which can take typically 40 days, DTAA certifies or denies eligibility to apply for TAA services and benefits and notifies petitioners and a company official.   Certified workers individually apply for services through their local Career Centers.   Denied workers may appeal. 3. Workers must be enrolled in training 8 weeks after certification of 16 weeks after their last qualifying separation to receive TRA benefits or a waiver of training enrollment must be granted by the state.

Based on individual eligibility, members of a Trade petition certified worker group may receive one or more of the following Reemployment Trade Services available at Barren River Area Career Centers: Job Search Registration Employment Counseling Case Assessment Job Development Supportive Services Self-Directed Job Search Services Job Search Allowances: For costs of job search outside of the local area (anything over 100 miles one way), reimbursement of 90% of the cost up to a maximum of $1, Relocation Allowances: For costs of relocating to a job outside of the local area (anything over 100 miles one way). Three estimates are required from commercial carriers for household moving expenses.

Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA): Up to 104* weeks of cash payments for eligible workers enrolled in full-time training. Basic or remedial education (including literacy training and English as a Second Language) * Up to 26 additional weeks are available to workers who require remedial training. Training Services: Up to 104* weeks of approved training, including:Classroom training *Workers must be enrolled in training 8 weeks after certification or 16 weeks after separation to receive or to be eligible for TRA benefits, HCTC, or a wavier issued by OET of training enrollment must be granted by the state. Employer-based training More Reemployment Services available at Barren River Area Career Centers for Trade eligible individuals, who are members of a Trade petition certified worker group :

Health Care Tax Credit for Trade eligible individuals, who are members of a Trade petition certified worker group (HCTC): Health Insurance Coverage Assistance: Tax credits covering up to 65% of the monthly health insurance premium paid by an eligible participant. Kentucky’s ‘Health Insurance Assistance’ program Melissa Wiley The Kentucky Department for Workforce Investment received a federal grant to make the continuation of healthcare affordable for more workers certified under the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program. It will pay 65 percent of the cost of qualified health insurance coverage for up to three months. The program will help to “bridge the gap” until the individual can complete the registration for the primary healthcare assistance (HCTC) that is administered by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is offering Blue Accesssm Trade Adjustment The registration form for both the Kentucky gap filler assistance and the IRS tax credit is available at the OET one stop Career Centers Kentucky’s gap filler and the IRS tax credit can be used to pay for other types of automatically qualified insurance including coverage under a COBRA continuation provision, a spouse’s employer-sponsored plan, an individual’s health insurance plan and state continuation coverage.

Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA) ATAA is designed to allow TAA eligible workers for whom retraining may not be appropriate and who find reemployment to receive a wage subsidy when there is a salary gap between their old and new employment. These claimants are eligible for the Health Coverage Tax Credit and Relocation Allowance, in addition to the ATAA allowance.

Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA) Certification criteria : Eligibility: To receive ATAA benefits, workers must be eligible for TAA under an ATAA certified petition A significant number* of adversely affected workers in the petitioning workers’ firm are 50 years of age or older. The adversely affected workers in the petitioning workers’ firm possess job skills that are not easily transferable to other employment: and The competitive conditions within the affected workers’ industry are adverse.

Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA) Individual’s Criteria: Be at least age 50 at time of reemployment. Obtain full time reemployment (as determined by the employer) by the last day of the 26th week after the worker’s qualifying separation from the TAA/ATAA certified employment. Must not be expected to earn more than $50,000 annually in gross wages (excluding overtime pay) from the reemployment. Cannot return to work to the employment from which the worker was separated. Thus, the worker cannot return to the same division/facility that he/she was separated from nor can the worker do the same or similar work for the employer that he/she was separated from in another division/facility. Some Restrictions may apply- for further important information on anything concerning ATAA please visit your local Career Center. Application Process: Workers who seek the benefits and services available under the ATAA program must file a regular TAA petition and indicate on the form that the worker group request consideration for eligibility under the ATAA program.

Trade Act Programs Contact Information Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance: United States Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance Room C Constitution Ave., N.W. Washington, DC Phone: Fax: or 3585 Web: Local Career Center To find the nearest One-Stop Career Center, State TAA Coordinator, and Dislocated Workers Units, call US2-JOBS, (TTY), or visit the America’s Service Locator Web site at: