Current through 2024-38, September 18, 2024
A. Eligibility requirements. To be eligible
for acceptance into the MEO, an applicant must meet the following criteria:
(1) be a resident of the state of
Maine;
(2) have been identified as
likely to exhaust regular benefits through a worker profiling system;
(3) have a balance of regular benefits equal
to at least 18 times the applicant's weekly benefits amount at the time of
application;
(4) have attended an
"Orientation to the MEO" program;
(5) have completed and submitted to the Local
Department of Labor Office a written application form containing information
the commissioner may prescribe, including, but not limited to, the following:
(a) The type of business
contemplated.
(b) Business
location.
(c) Target market for
product or service and plan for reaching the market
(d) Anticipated start-up expenses.
(e) Proposed sources of initial
financing.
(f) Personal interest,
experience or training in operating the type of business proposed;
(6) be willing and able to work
full-time at self-employment assistance activities; and
(7) be proposing to enter a type of business
which is an allowable business activity as defined in section 1(E).
B. Application review. Written
applications will be reviewed by the Review Board to insure that the applicant
meets all of the above eligibility requirements.
(1) During the interval between filing an
application and notification of acceptance or non-acceptance, applicants shall
continue to file for and meet the eligibility requirements for regular
benefits.
C. Enrollment
limitation. Enrollment into The MEO shall be carefully monitored by the
Department of Labor on a monthly basis. Monthly notification shall be provided
to the Review Board of the percentage of claimants receiving regular benefits
who are enrolled in The MEO.
(1) When the
Review Board determines that acceptance of additional participants is likely to
cause enrollment to exceed 5% of the claimants receiving regular benefits,
acceptance of applicants into The MEO shall be deferred. Applicants who do not
meet the requirements for eligibility for The MEO, other than the 5%
limitation, shall continue to receive notification of nonacceptance. Applicants
who do meet the eligibility requirements shall be given written notification
that acceptance into The MEO has been deferred until such acceptances would no
longer be likely to cause the percentage to exceed 5%.
(2) Applicants who are deferred shall be
placed on a waiting list in the order in which they applied, with the
applicants who applied first and who are still on the waiting list being given
the first openings for acceptance into The MEO. Applicants who are deferred
shall remain on a waiting list until one of the following occurs: 1) they have
been on the waiting list for five weeks following the week in which they
submitted their application, or, 2) their remaining balance of regular benefits
is less than 14 times the applicant's weekly benefits amount, or, 3) less than
14 weeks remain in their benefit year. Applicants shall be given written
notification that their status has changed from deferral to not
accepted.
D. Notice of
eligibility to participate in MEO. Applicants must receive written notification
of acceptance from the MEO Review Board prior to submitting a claim for a
self-employment assistance allowance. Notice must be made within a reasonable
time frame. Participation takes effect with the week following notification.
Participants shall begin filing an SEA weekly claim form as of the week
following notification of acceptance into MEO.
