October 21, 2021
The New York State Department of Labor today announced that Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is now available to New Yorkers in Dutchess County. With the addition of Dutchess County, New Yorkers in nine New York Counties – Bronx, Queens, Kings, Richmond, Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland and Dutchess – who lost their jobs as a direct result of Hurricane Ida may be eligible for DUA. DUA will help to provide financial support to anyone who has lost their job and live or work in the impacted counties.
New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, “The devastating aftermath of Hurricane Ida on these communities that are already in the midst of trying to build back from the COVID-19 pandemic is unimaginable. This assistance will provide a swift lifeline to New Yorkers who were directly displaced from their jobs by Hurricane Ida to help in their recovery and rebuilding efforts.”
Individuals eligible for DUA benefits are those who work or live in one of the federally declared counties and lost their jobs directly due to the disaster. Those eligible may also include:
- Individuals unable to reach their job because they must travel through the affected area and are prevented by doing so by the disaster.
- Individuals who were to commence employment but were prevented by the disaster.
- Individuals who became the major support for a household because of the death of the head of the household as a result of the disaster.
- Individuals who cannot work because of an injury caused as a direct result of the disaster.
Unemployment is a direct result of the major disaster if the unemployment resulted from:
- The physical damage or destruction of the place of employment.
- The physical inaccessibility of the place of employment due to its closure by the federal, state, or local government in immediate response to the disaster.
- Lack of work, or loss of revenues, if, prior to the disaster, the employer or self-employed business received at least a majority of its revenue or income from an entity in the major disaster area that was damaged or destroyed in the disaster or an entity in the major disaster are closed by the federal, state, or local government.
The DUA program is a part of the federal disaster assistance process, but is administered by the New York State Department of Labor (NYS DOL). This assistance will supplement New York’s existing unemployment insurance system and will expand eligibility to include individuals who might otherwise not be covered.
Before an individual can be determined eligible for DUA, it must be established by the NYS DOL that the individual is otherwise not eligible for regular unemployment insurance benefits under any state or federal law.
Anyone unemployed due to Hurricane Ida may be eligible and can submit a claim to the Department of Labor. Residents who lost their jobs due to this disaster should file a claim explaining:
- How they lost their job;
- when they lost their job; and
- where they lost their job.
To apply for disaster unemployment assistance, those affected by Hurricane Ida and have lost their job or income should file a claim by calling The NYS DOL at 1-866-642-7227.
The deadline for filing for DUA benefits is November 18, 2021 for Bronx, Queens, Kings, Richmond, Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk and Rockland Counties. The deadline for filing for DUA benefits for Dutchess County is November 22, 2021. Please note that DUA claims filed after the deadline may be ineligible for payment.