Disaster Unemployment Assistance Available 

Release Date: May 8, 2003
Release Number: 1459-12

» More Information on Mississippi Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

Jackson, MS -- Residents located in the 28 disaster-declared Mississippi counties who are unemployed because of the April 6th through 14th severe storms, tornadoes and flooding may be eligible to apply for disaster unemployment assistance.

State Coordinating Officer for the disaster recovery effort, Leon Shaifer, said, "The Mississippi Employment Security Commission has requested and received initial funding. A supplemental request for additional funds may be requested later if additional funds are needed."

The Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) program covers people who would otherwise be ineligible for unemployment compensation, including agricultural and hourly paid workers, the self-employed and other categories of workers not included in the regular unemployment program. Workers who cannot work because of an injury caused by the disaster or who became the major support for a household because of the death of the head of the household due to the disaster are also eligible to apply.

Workers who were unable to reach their job because the disaster prevented their travel, or who were about to begin employment but the disaster prevented them from doing so, may apply.

The DUA was activated following President Bush's disaster declaration on April 24, 2003.

Carlos Mitchell, the federal official in charge of the disaster recovery effort, said, "Claims for disaster unemployment assistance should be filed at the unemployment insurance office of the Mississippi Employment Security Commission nearest to the person's home. This emergency benefit program is entirely funded by the federal government; therefore, there will be no increases in taxes paid by Mississippi employers to the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund."

May 26, 2003 is the deadline for applying for DUA. Workers in the 28 disaster-declared counties are eligible to apply. Those counties are Amite, Atalla, Claiborne, Clarke, Copiah, Franklin, Hinds, Holmes, Issaquena, Jasper, Jefferson, Kemper, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lincoln, Madison, Neshoba, Newton, Pike, Rankin, Scott, Simpson, Smith, Walthall, Warren, Wayne and Yazoo.

Last Modified: Thursday, 08-May-2003 16:51:49