Disaster Unemployment Assistance Available

BATON ROUGE, La. – Workers who have lost their jobs or those who are self-employed and unable to provide their services because of Hurricane Isaac may be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA). But the deadlines to file a claim are fast approaching.

“The DUA program extends coverage to farm workers and others who have lost employment as a direct result of the disaster,” said Mike Hall, federal coordinating officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). “It is specifically designed to assist those who are otherwise ineligible for state unemployment benefits.”

This program is available to those living or working in any of the 21 parishes designated for FEMA Individual Assistance. These parishes are: Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington and West Feliciana.

Workers have 30 days from the date their parish is designated for Individual Assistance to file a claim. The deadlines are as follows:

• Oct. 2, 2012 – Ascension, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. John and St. Tammany.
• Oct. 5, 2012 – St. Charles and Tangipahoa.
• Oct. 8, 2012 – Assumption, Iberville, St. Helena, St. James, St. Mary, Terrebonne and Washington.
• Oct. 15, 2012 – East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana and West Feliciana.

To file a DUA claim, visit http://www.laworks.net/UnemploymentInsurance/UI_Claimants.asp. Those without Internet access or who have difficulty filing a claim online can contact the Louisiana Workforce Commission toll-free at 1-866-783-5567. 

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit online at www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.  If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.