FEMA Offers Disaster Unemployment Assistance

North coast workers may be eligible for disaster unemployment benefits.

Oregon Governor Kulongoski during a recent visit to Vernonia. Photo courtesy: vernoniafloodinfo.blogspot.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - With President Bush's declaration of Clatsop, Columbia, and Tillamook counties disaster areas, workers from those counties may be eligible for disaster unemployment assistance. The President made the declaration at the request of Governor Ted Kulongoski through the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA).

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is a federal program that provides financial assistance to individuals whose employment or self-employment has been lost or interrupted as a direct result of a major disaster.

The Oregon Employment Department administers the DUA program for FEMA and provides reemployment services. Individuals eligible for regular unemployment benefits are not eligible for DUA.

In addition to individuals who lost jobs directly due to the disaster, DUA may include:
• Individuals unable to reach their job
• Individuals prevented from beginning new work
Individuals unable to work due to injury as a result of the disaster
• Individuals who became head of household due a death caused by the disaster Unemployment is a direct result of the major disaster if the unemployment resulted from:
• The physical damage or destruction of the place of employment
• The physical inaccessibility of the place of employment due to its closure by the federal, state, or local government in immediate response to the disaster; or
• Lack of work, or loss of revenues, if, prior to the disaster, the employer or self-employed business received at least a majority of its revenue or income from an entity in the major disaster area that was damaged or destroyed in the disaster or an entity in the major disaster area closed by the federal, state, or local government.

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DUA is available to individuals beginning the week of December 2, 2007. Benefits are available 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. Individuals should file as soon as possible, although they are allowed to file up to 30 days after the announcement date.

To file a Disaster Unemployment Assistance claim, individuals need to contact WorkSource Oregon Employment Department Unemployment Insurance Center at 1-877-877-1781. When contacting the UI Center, individuals need to have their social security number and recent work history available.

There is a great blog about Vernonia, check it out at: vernoniafloodinfo.blogspot.com/