I have a similar question and really hope that someone can answer it over the weekend. I was laid off 12/07 and am currently on my 2nd federal extension and getting the maximum amount per week. I just landed a position on a temporary project. This project is scheduled to last 2 months. My question is: when I have to refile in April, will I get to open my existing claim in which I am making the maximum amount per week or will I be opening a new claim that will only pay out based upon 2 months of work? I need to know that answer immediately because I am scheduled to start on this new job on monday but if I am not able to open the existing claim, I will not be able to take it.

Without knowing exactly where you are in the extention, no one can answer that question.

However, if you turn down available work, you will become ineligible for benefits immediately.

I currently have about 11 weeks left in my extension.

11 weeks of benefits left? or 11 weeks before the end of your claim year?

This is not totally clear and I think that is because I am on my second extension. On the stub at the top of my Continued Claim form that I got on 2-7-09, it states that my claim expires 12-27-08. That would have been the expiration date on my original unemployment claim, without any extensions. My claim balance is $4950 which comes out to $450 a week for 11 weeks. The original extension was 13 weeks and I have already taken 2 weeks worth. According to the EDD website, the last date the second extension can BEGIN is 8-23-09 so I think i would have to collect all benefits on that second extension by no later than 13 weeks after that date.