Among the major policies supporting workers through the COVID-19 crisis is the federal-state Unemployment Insurance (UI) system, which provides cash benefits to those who lose their jobs or, in some cases, lose work hours. This brief identifies themes from research on the Great Recession about extending UI benefits, including findings related to the standing Extended Benefits and temporary Emergency Unemployment Compensation programs. These programs hold potentially useful lessons as policymakers consider potential future extensions to the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, extensions or changes to the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefit, or reforms to the Extended Benefit program.