Disaster Unemployment Assistance
Purpose
Disaster Unemployment Assistance provides financial assistance to individuals
whose employment or self-employment has been lost or interrupted as a direct
result of a major disaster declared by the President of the United states.
Before an individual can be determined eligible for Disaster Unemployment
Assistance, it must be established that the individual is not eligible
for regular unemployment insurance benefits (under any state or federal law).
The program is administered by states as agents of the federal government.
Eligibility
Disaster Unemployment Assistance is available to unemployed U.S. nationals and qualified
aliens who worked or were self-employed if they:
- worked or were self-employed in or were scheduled to begin work or self-employment
in an area declared as a federal disaster area.
- can no longer work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to the place of employment
as a direct result of a disaster.
- establish that the work or self-employment they can no longer perform was their
primary source of income.
- do not qualify for regular unemployment insurance benefits from any
state.
- can not perform work or self-employment because of an injury or because they
were incapacitated as a direct result of the disaster.
- became the breadwinner or major support of a household because of the death of the
head of the household.
- can not work or perform self-employment due to closure of a facility by the federal government.
- lose a majority of income or revenue because the employer or self-employed business was damaged, destroyed,
or closed by the federal government.
Suffering a monetary loss due to damage of property or crops does not automatically
entitle an individual to Disaster Unemployment Assistance.
Benefits
Disaster Unemployment Assistance is available to individuals for weeks of unemployment
beginning after the date the major disaster began and for up to 26
weeks after the major disaster was declared by the President, as long as their
unemployment continues to be a result of the major disaster.
The maximum weekly benefit amount is determined under the provisions of the
state law for unemployment insurance in the state where the disaster occurred.
Filing a Claim
Claims should be filed in accordance with the state's instructions published
in announcements about the availability of Disaster Unemployment Assistance, or
contact the State Unemployment Insurance agency.
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