Disaster Unemployment Assistance Available In More Iowa Counties, Deadline Extended
Release Date: August 15, 2008
Release Number: 1763-163
» More Information on Iowa Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Disaster victims who lost work because of recent storms, tornadoes and floods, including farmers, farm workers and the self-employed, may be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) in seven more counties. Also, the deadline for filing Disaster Unemployment Assistance claims is extended to Sept. 12, 2008.
Officials from the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division (HSEMD) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the additional counties eligible for DUA are: Adair, Audubon, Cass, Grundy, Guthrie, Henry and Winnebago.
They also announced a uniform deadline extension to Sept. 12, 2008, applicable to individuals in 74 counties designated eligible for Individual Assistance because of severe storms, tornadoes and floods May 25 through Aug. 13. This is the second extension for some counties.
Persons living or working in the disaster-declared counties who became unemployed, or could not engage in their customary self-employment as a direct result of the severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding are eligible for DUA. The counties eligible for DUA and subject to the deadline extension are: Adair, Adams, Allamakee, Appanoose, Audubon, Benton, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Cass, Cedar, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Clarke, Clayton, Clinton, Crawford, Dallas, Davis, Decatur, Delaware, Des Moines, Dubuque, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Fremont, Greene, Grundy, Guthrie, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Henry, Iowa, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Kossuth, Lee, Linn, Louisa, Lucas, Madison, Mahaska, Marion, Marshall, Mills, Mitchell, Monona, Monroe, Montgomery, Muscatine, Page, Polk, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Scott, Story, Tama, Union, Van Buren, Wapello, Warren, Washington, Webster, Winnebago, Winneshiek, Worth and Wright.
Those individuals who are eligible are encouraged to file a claim as soon as possible. Claims are filed through any Iowa Workforce Development Center, or online at www.iowaworkforce.org, and funding is provided by FEMA.
The benefits cover self-employed workers not usually entitled to unemployment insurance, including Iowa farmers and farm workers.
Others eligible are:
- Those who could not reach their job or self-employment location because of the disaster.
- Those who were to start work or self-employment but could not do so because of the conditions.
- Self-employed workers who were injured as a direct result of the disaster, as is someone who became the breadwinner or major support for a household because the head of household died as a direct result of the disaster.
Individuals filing a claim must provide proof of past earnings, such as business records or bank statements, and their most recent income tax filing.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
Last Modified: Monday, 18-Aug-2008 13:08:05