(Albuquerque, NM) – The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions announced that individuals filing a Tier 1 Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) claim with an effective date of September 2, 2012 or later will be eligible for a maximum of 14 weeks of Tier 1 EUC, not 20 weeks. Those Unemployment Insurance claimants currently on Tier I benefits or eligible to claim Tier I benefits before September 2 will continue to receive Tier I payments up to 20 weeks, as part of a phase-out period. This is in accordance with the provisions of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-96) signed into law by the President in February of this year. After September 2, the total maximum period that an Unemployment Insurance claimant can be potentially be eligible for benefits in New Mexico will be 54 weeks.