Deadline to Apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance Approaching
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, July 27, 2012 CONTACT: DEO Communications, (850) 617-5600 or media@deo.myflorida.com
Deadline To Apply For Disaster Unemployment Assistance Nears For Individuals Affected by Tropical Storm Debby ~Residents of 22 Florida counties may be eligible for federal assistance~
TALLAHASSEE – Eligible residents of Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Franklin, Gilchrist, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lafayette, Manatee, Nassau, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Suwannee, Union, Taylor and Wakulla counties who lost wages, their jobs or businesses due to Tropical Storm Debby have until the dates indicated below to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA):
* August 6, 2012 – Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Franklin, Hernando, Highlands, Pasco, Pinellas, Suwannee and Wakulla counties * August 10, 2012 – Duval, Nassau and Union counties * August 13, 2012 – Hillsborough, Manatee and Taylor counties * August 16, 2012 – Citrus, Gilchrist, Lafayette, Polk and Sarasota counties
Although many workers are covered by the state’s regular Reemployment Assistance Program (formerly unemployment compensation), those not covered may be eligible for DUA, a federally funded program that assists individuals who become unemployed as a direct result of a declared disaster and who do not qualify for regular state reemployment assistance (RA) benefits. The program also covers self-employed individuals, owners of farms and ranches, farm and ranch workers as well as fishers and others who are not normally covered by state RA benefits. To be eligible for DUA benefits, the person must have been working or residing in a county officially declared a part of the disaster.
DUA benefits are available to unemployed individuals for up to 28 weeks from the date of the disaster declaration. The 28-week assistance period for this disaster ends January 5, 2013. Anyone authorized to work in this country by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services may be eligible for DUA benefits.
Information about how to apply and what documents are required can be found online at www.floridajobs.org
The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 – November 30. To GET A PLAN! visit www.FloridaDisaster.org
