Disaster Unemployment Assistance

About the Disaster Unemployment Assistance Program

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is a special program that provides unemployment benefits to eligible workers and self-employed individuals who become unemployed or can't work, as a direct result of major disasters.

The DUA Program becomes active when the President of the United States officially declares disaster areas. If needed, the disaster areas are then entitled to receive DUA funds from the Federal government.

President Bush has declared several states as disaster areas since early May 2008, due to severe storms, tornadoes and flooding, Hurricane Dolly and Tropical Storm Fay. Subsequently, Disaster Unemployment Assistance is available or will soon become available in declared states that have requested the funds. Click the previous links for more information.

The Disaster Unemployment Assistance Program is administered by state unemployment offices as agents of the Federal government. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) pays the funds to declared disaster states in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).

Disaster Unemployment Assistance Eligibility

Because Disaster Unemployment Assistance is a special program, eligibility requirements differ from those of standard state unemployment benefits programs. To be eligible for DUA, among other requirements, you must be ineligible for standard unemployment benefits from any state. In other words, you might be entitled to receive one or other due to a disaster, but not both.

Below is a summary of Disaster Unemployment Assistance eligibility requirements, paraphrased from those listed by the U.S. Department of Labor.

• Do not qualify for standard unemployment benefits from any state
• Worked or was self-employed, or was scheduled to begin work or self-employment, in a declared disaster area
• Can no longer work or perform services because of damage or destruction to the place of employment as a direct result of a disaster
• Establish that the work or self-employment you can no longer perform because of a disaster, was your primary source of income
• Cannot perform work or self-employment because of an injury or incapacitation as a direct result of the disaster
• Became the breadwinner or a major support contributor of a household, because the head of the household died as a direct result of a disaster
• Cannot work or perform self-employment due to closure of a facility by the Federal government as a direct result of a disaster
• Lost a majority of income or revenue because your employer's or your own place of business damaged, destroyed or closed by the Federal government as a direct result of a disaster

To fully determine your eligibility for either standard unemployment benefits or Disaster Unemployment Assistance, you'll likely have to file an official claim with the relevant state unemployment office. See State Unemployment Office under Unemployment Offices for more information and to locate the nearest office in your state.

Ordinarily, you'll have only 30 days to file a claim for Disaster Unemployment Assistance after it becomes available. So, file for DUA as soon as it's practical, even if you don't have the supporting paperwork at hand. After filing, you'll ordinarily have 21 days to provide the supporting paperwork. But, in cases of severe damage, the U.S. Department of Labor typically extends DUA deadlines.

If one or more state unemployment offices are closed because of damage, states might set up temporary offices to file claims for both standard unemployment benefits and Disaster Unemployment Assistance. Unemployment offices typically also set up special phone hotlines and online services for those who can't file claims in person.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance Benefits

Disaster Unemployment Assistance benefits are similar to those of standard state unemployment benefits, and include weekly compensation and re-employment services. The maximum weekly compensation dollar amount is determined by each state, according to the provisions in each state's unemployment laws.

For example, if the maximum weekly compensation for standard unemployment benefits in your state is $330 for up to 26 weeks, then the maximum weekly amount for Disaster Unemployment Assistance is likely to be the same.

Among other Disaster Unemployment Assistance benefits offered, state unemployment offices (or related One-Stop Career Centers) might schedule special job fairs for disaster-unemployed workers to land replacement jobs. Unemployment offices might also offer temporary jobs to disaster-unemployed workers, so they may earn an income while helping in relief and recovery efforts.

For information about post-disaster help in addition to Disaster Unemployment Assistance, start by browsing FEMA's Web site.