The Department of Labor administers two major programs to respond to natural disasters - the Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) program, and the National Emergency Grant (NEG) program.
Disaster Unemployment Assistance provides financial assistance to individuals whose employment or self-employment has been lost or interrupted as a direct result of a major disaster declared by the President of the United States. Before an individual can be determined eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance, it must be established that the individual is not eligible for regular unemployment insurance benefits (under any state or federal law). The program is administered by states as agents of the federal government.
The initial purpose of a National Emergency Grant disaster project is to create temporary employment to assist with clean-up and restoration activities and humanitarian assistance to communities that have been affected by a disaster. The initial award will restrict the clean-up period to 6 months from the date of grant award, until there is a subsequent modification (e.g., fully documented plan or other request) that justifies a longer clean-up period. These applications require verification that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has declared a disaster area eligible for public assistance.
This grant is awarded pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Grant Agreement and the approved Project Grant Award package and any subsequent modifications thereof. The initial award of National Emergency Grant funds allows states to undertake recovery efforts while a thorough assessment of their disaster-related needs is completed. Subject to the availability of funds, once a full assessment of the needs has been completed, the Department will consider requests for additional funding -- based also on expenditures and enrollments.
