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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Susan (573) 751-1518
June 23, 2009
Unemployment Benefits Available to Storm Victims
Presidential Disaster Declaration makes individual assistance available in 28 Missouri Counties
Jefferson City, Mo- On June 19, Governor Jay Nixon announced that his request for a major disaster declaration had been granted by President Barack Obama, opening the door for Missourians in 28 counties whose employment was lost or interrupted due to severe storms, tornadoes and flooding from May 8 to May 16, to apply for up to 26 weeks of Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA).
"The Unemployment Insurance (UI) program was created to provide assistance to individuals who lost their job due to no fault of their own. With the President’s declaration in place, the state’s UI program can help Missourians who were affected by the storms get the resources they need to get back to work,” says Department Director Larry Rebman.
The Missouri Department of Labors’ Division of Employment Security will be accepting applications for DUA up until July 23, 2009, from individuals in Adair, Barry, Barton, Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Christian, Dade, Dallas, Dent, Douglas, Greene, Howell, Iron, Jasper, Jefferson, Laclede, Lawrence, Madison, Newton, Ozark, Polk, Reynolds, Ripley, St. Francois, Shannon, Texas, Washington, and Webster counties. Eligibility for DUA will be determined on a week-to-week basis and individuals can only receive benefits for as long as his or her unemployment continues as a result of the disaster. No applications will be accepted after July 23, 2009, unless for a good cause.
To be eligible for DUA benefits, an individual must be unemployed as a direct result of the major disaster. This includes those that were self-employed, those that lost work because they were unable to travel to or through the affected area and those whose businesses lost a majority of their revenue or income from an entity that was damaged or closed by the government in the disaster area. Assistance will also be available to individuals who cannot work because of an injury or those who became the breadwinner because of the death of the head of the household as a direct result of the disaster.
Applicants are required to provide proof that they were employed or self-employed at the time of the disaster occurred or were scheduled to begin work when the disaster occurred. This proof of employment must be filed with the initial claim or within 21 days of filing their DUA claim. To claim, individuals will need their Social Security Number and the name and address of their last employer or prospective employer. A copy of the most recent federal income tax forms or check stubs may also be required (self-employed individuals should also provide Schedules SE and Schedule C or Schedule F).
Individuals, who may be eligible for assistance, should call (800) 788-4002 for information about filing a claim. The hours to call are between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Missourians impacted by the severe storms and flooding in all the declared counties can register for assistance by calling the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at (800) 621-3362, TTY (800) 462-7585, or register with FEMA online at www.fema.gov. For more information, visit www.labor.mo.gov.
In addition to providing individual assistance like disaster unemployment assistance to Missourians in 28 counties, the disaster declaration also cleared the way for local governments in 46 counties to be reimbursed for costs related to storm response and clean up.
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Information and Planning · 421 East Dunklin
· P.O. Box 504 · Jefferson City, MO
65102-0504
573-751-7500 · 573-751-6552 (Fax)
Relay Missouri: 1-800-735-2966 (TDD) 1-800-735-2466 (Voice)