WINDSOR, Conn. — The deadline for Hurricane Sandy survivors to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance is Feb. 4.

Connecticut residents who lost their jobs due to this disaster should file a claim by calling their local TeleBenefits line. To find your local TeleBenefits number, visit the Connecticut Department of Labor website at www.ctdol.state.ct.us, check the blue pages of your telephone directory, or contact Infoline at 211.

The U.S. Department of Labor oversees the DUA program in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which provides the funds for payment of benefits and reimburses the state for its administrative costs.

DUA is available to those who are not eligible for state unemployment benefits, including the self-employed, farmers and farm workers.

Workers may qualify for DUA if:

• They were injured in the disaster and are unable to work;
• Their workplace was damaged or destroyed;
• Transportation to work is not available;
• They could not get to their job because they must travel through an affected area;
• The disaster prevented them from starting a new job;
• Their business suffered because most of its income was derived from an affected area; and
• They are able and available for work, unless injured in the disaster, and have not refused a suitable offer of employment.

Registering for FEMA disaster assistance is not required to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance.

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 800-621-3362. 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.