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Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance 2002 (ATAA)

(Certified Petitions filed on or after Nov. 4, 2002, and before May 18, 2009)
 
ATAA provides assistance to eligible Trade-affected workers age 50 or older who obtain new employment that pays less than their Trade-affected employment.
 
IMPORTANT: Benefits available under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011 (Trade Act of 2011) apply to Trade Act petitions filed on or after Feb. 15, 2011. The Trade Act of 2011 became law on Oct. 21, 2011, and retroactively covered petitions filed on or after Feb. 15, 2011. Claimants who had already received certain Trade Act benefits and services under the previous Trade Act are to be offered a one time election to continue receiving benefits under the Trade Act of 2002 or to begin receiving benefits under the new Trade Act of 2011. If you qualified for the election and chose to receive benefits under the Trade Act of 2011 program or if you are covered under a petition filed on or after May 18, 2009, and no later than Feb. 14, 2011, please refer to the Trade Act of 2011 web page. If you are covered under a petition filed on or after May 18, 2009, through Feb. 14, 2011, please read information on the Trade Act of 2009. If you are covered under a petition filed on or after Jan. 1, 2014, please read information on Trade Adjustment Assistance 2015.
  

To qualify, the worker:

  1. Must apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and receive a determination entitling them to TAA from the UC Service Center on a petition that is certified as ATAA covered.
  2. Must be at least 50 years of age at the time of reemployment.
  3. Must obtain reemployment not more than 26 weeks after the date of separation from the adversely affected employment.
  4. Cannot return to work with the certified employer.
  5. Cannot be projected to earn more than $50,000 each year from reemployment.
  6. Must be employed on a full-time basis as defined by State law.

Benefits of ATAA for Qualified Workers

  1.  ATAA pays 50 percent of the difference between the worker's wages at the time of the qualifying separation and the worker's wages from new employment.
     
  2.  ATAA benefits may be paid until the worker has received a total of $10,000 OR a period of two (2) years has passed since the first qualifying reemployment OR until the worker's reemployment income is projected to reach the $50,000 annual limit, whichever comes first.
        
  3. Workers who are interested in the ATAA program should take advantage of all available reemployment services. Workers pursuing ATAA may be entitled to a waiver of the training requirements for TRA, which preserves eligibility to TRA if a job is not obtained within 26 weeks of the qualifying separation. Workers should contact the PA CareerLink® TAA representative to request a waiver of the enrollment in training requirements prior to the 8/16 week deadline.
        
  4. If a worker pursuing ATAA will not be able to obtain a job within 26 weeks of the qualifying separation, the worker should contact the PA CareerLink® TAA representative to consider other TAA benefit options, including training.

Impact of Choice

IMPORTANT: Workers who choose to receive ATAA payments will forfeit eligibility for TAA job search allowances, funded training, and TRA. Workers will maintain eligibility for relocation allowances.
 
Workers who receive TAA job search allowances, funded training, or TRA will forfeit eligibility for ATAA.
 
For more information, contact your local PA CareerLink®.
 
The information provided on this site does not constitute a determination of eligibility to receive unemployment compensation.