CALIFORNIA – HEARING NOTICE TIME REDUCED TO 10 DAYS
The state of California recently changed their hearing notice lead time, down to 10 days from the previous 20 days. That means the state is now only required to provide employers and TPAs 10 days’ notice of a hearing, including mailing time.
Thomas & Company will continue to process and forward hearing notices as quickly as possible upon recent, but this change will lead to shorter turnaround times for all hearings scheduled in the state of California.
If you have additional questions or concerns, contact your Thomas & Company hearings analyst or account representative.
NEW YORK – WEEKLY BENEFIT AMOUNT INCREASE REMINDER
As a reminder, the state of New York unfroze the unemployment weekly benefit amount for the first time since 2009. Effective October 6, 2025, the maximum weekly benefit amount increased to $869, up from $504. The increased benefit rate will be seen on unemployment payments beginning the week of October 13, 2025.
Q3 FILING REMINDER
As a reminder, quarterly filings are coming due in many states. Don’t forget to file the necessary payroll and leave reports and make appropriate payments. For many states, the upcoming filing deadline for Q3 is Friday, October 31, but check with all relevant states to ensure you meet these important deadlines.
OREGON – PAID LEAVE CONTRIBUTION AND UNEMPLOYMENT TAX RATES AVAILABLE SOON
In November, the Oregon Employment Department will notify employers of their 2026 tax and contribution rates for both Paid Leave and Unemployment. Rate information will also be available via the Frances Online account after November 15.
WASHINGTON – 2026 TAXABLE WAGE BASE INCREASE
The taxable wage base for 2026 will increase to $78,200, up 7.4% from the current level of $72,800.
WISCONSIN – DISTRICT COURT ORDERS STATE TO ALLOW UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES RECEIVING SSDI AND OTHERWISE QUALIFIED
As reported earlier this year, US District Judge William Conley ruled that a 2013 law blocking Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) recipients from collecting unemployment benefits unlawfully discriminates against people with disabilities.
The lawsuit, filed as a class action, classified two classes of impacted individuals: those who applied after September 7, 2015 and were denied because of receipt of SSDI payments and those who had received SSDI payments but then were ordered to return the payments.
As a result of this court order, individuals who receive SSDI, lose work, and are otherwise qualified are now eligible to receive unemployment benefits. In addition, an August 20, 2025 court order further issued instructions that individuals who filed for unemployment between September 8, 2025 through July 29, 2025 may be eligible to receive unemployment backpay if they were eligible but denied, or forced to repay, benefits at the time due to receipt of SSDI benefits.
Now, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has indicated that they have begun notifying individuals and processing these retroactive payments, though an exact timeline for payment is unavailable.
Additional information can be found on the Wisconsin DWD website.
Legislative Updates
OHIO – HOUSE BILL 376 WOULD DECREASE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT WEEKS
House Bill 376 would decrease unemployment benefit weeks, down to 20 weeks from its current level of 26 weeks. Republican lawmakers who introduced the bill indicated this change would help stabilize the state trust fund, which would otherwise become insolvent within 6 months of a recession, according to Department of Labor data.
