Jefferson City, Mo. (KFMO) - The Missouri Department of Labor’s Division of Employment Security will be accepting applications for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) now through September 23, 2024.
Governor Mike Parson’s request for a major disaster declaration was granted by President Joe Biden. Missouri residents in Barry, Butler, Carter, Howell, New Madrid, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard, and Texas counties whose employment was lost or interrupted due to severe storms, straight-line winds, tornados and flooding that occurred from May 19 to May 27, 2024 are eligible. Those in need of relief can apply for up to 35 weeks of assistance. Applicants are required to provide proof of employment at the time of the disaster.
For more information on eligibility requirements and to apply for relief go to uinteract.labor.mo.gov.
To be eligible for DUA benefits under Presidential Disaster Declaration FEMA-DR-4803-DR, individuals:
· Must be an unemployed or self-employed worker whose unemployment was caused as a direct result of the major disaster declared by the President
· Must be a U.S. national or a qualified alien; and
· Must not qualify for regular unemployment insurance benefits from any state; and
· Must have worked or were self-employed in, or were scheduled to begin work or self-employment in, one of the counties listed above; and
· Must establish that the work or self-employment they can no longer perform was their primary source of income.
Also eligible to apply for DUA are individuals who:
· Can no longer work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to the place of employment as a direct result of a disaster; or
· Cannot perform work or self-employment because of an injury caused as a direct result of the disaster; or
· Became the breadwinner or major support of a household because of the death of the head of the household; or
· Cannot work or perform self-employment due to closure of a facility by the federal government.