South Dakota Ag Connection - Disaster Unemployment Assistance Available

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Disaster Unemployment Assistance Available
South Dakota Ag Connection - 06/14/2019

The Department of Labor and Regulation (DLR) is accepting applications for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) as a result of the Presidential Disaster Declaration, FEMA DR-4440.

Workers who lost their jobs and self-employed individuals and farmworkers who have been unable to work due to the severe winter storm, snowstorm and flooding March 13 to April 26, 2019, may be eligible for benefits.

DUA is available for individuals in Bennett, Bon Homme, Charles Mix, Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation, Dewey, Hutchinson, Jackson, Mellette, Minnehaha, Oglala Lakota, Pine Ridge Reservation, Rosebud Reservation, Todd, Yankton and Ziebach counties who:

- Do not qualify for regular state unemployment benefits in any state;

- Worked, were self-employed, or were scheduled to begin work or self-employment, but were unable to do so because of the disaster;

- Can no longer work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to the place of employment as a direct result of the disaster;

- Cannot reach their place of employment or self-employment location because they must travel through the disaster area and are prevented from doing as a direct result of the disaster;

- Have been prevented from work or self-employment because of an injury as a direct result of the disaster;

- Establish work or self-employment they can no longer perform was their primary source of income; or

- Have become the breadwinner or major supporter of a household because of the death of the head of the household.

Individuals whose employment has been affected should apply for DUA by calling the Claims Call Center at 605-626-3179, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. CDT. Please specify your claim is related to DUA and the winter storms.

Applicants will need their Social Security number; copies of their most recent federal income tax forms or check stubs; and documentation of employment, self-employment or prospective work when the disaster occurred. To receive DUA benefits, all required documentation must be submitted within 21 days from the day the DUA application is filed.

Claims must be filed by July 15 to be considered timely. Any claims filed after this date will be considered untimely unless the individual provides good cause for filing after this date. The first possible week of compensation for DUA purposes is the week ending March 23, 2019, and the last possible week of compensation is the week ending Dec. 7, 2019.

Services are available through the DLR job service offices to provide and facilitate support, education and training to individuals seeking employment in South Dakota. All programs and services are provided at no charge. More information is available at sdjobs.org.

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