INDIANAPOLIS (July 2, 2008) - On Tuesday, July 1, two Indiana counties were added to the federal disaster declaration. Workers in Hendricks and Tippecanoe counties may now be eligible for special Disaster Unemployment Assistance Benefits (DUA), according to the Department of Workforce Development.
To be eligible for assistance, workers or self-employed individuals - such as farmers - must be unemployed as a result of a major disaster in a major disaster area. The Federal Disaster Relief Act of 1974 provides assistance to individuals who have lost their employment as a direct result of a major disaster. Federal assistance becomes available to eligible individuals when an area is declared a major disaster by President Bush.
The deadline for affected workers to file is Friday, August 1, 2008.
Unemployment assistance is available to unemployed workers if, as a direct result of the disaster, the individual:
- No longer has a job.
- Cannot work because of a disaster-related injury.
- Is unable to reach his or her place of work
- Was to commence work and does not have a job or is unable to reach the job.
- Has become the primary means of support for the household because the head of household died as a direct result of the disaster.
Following a request from Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, President Bush signed disaster declarations making 39 Indiana counties eligible for an array of federal disaster relief programs.
The 37 counties that previously declared disaster areas include: Adams, Bartholomew, Brown, Clay, Daviess, Dearborn, Decatur, Gibson, Grant, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Henry, Huntington, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Johnson, Knox, Lawrence, Marion, Monroe, Morgan, Owen, Parke, Pike, Posey, Putnam, Randolph, Ripley, Rush, Shelby, Sullivan, Vermillion, Vigo, Washington and Wayne. The disaster declaration was issued as a result of severe storms and flooding which took place since May 30, 2008.
Interested claimants may apply for benefits at their local WorkOne center. To find the location of your closest WorkOne center go to http://www.in.gov/dwd/WorkOne/regions.html.
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