Disaster Unemployment Assistance Deadline Is Monday

The filing deadline for Disaster Unemployment Assstance in 11 Iowa counties is Monday, July 2. Iowans living or working in any of these counties recently declared disaster areas may be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits under the Disaster Unemployment Assistance program.

The affected counties are Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Ida, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, Shelby, Taylor and Union. They were declared as weather-related disaster areas for the severe storms, flooding and tornadoes between May 5 and 7. The filing deadline for another nearby county, Dallas, is July 16.

Benefits cover self-employed workers not usually entitled to unemployment insurance, including Iowa farmers. Those applying need to provide proof of past earnings, such as business records or bank statements and their most recent income tax forms. Any Iowa Workforce Development Center can accept the completed claims.

Those eligible for benefits in addition to individuals who lost their jobs directly include:

• individuals who are unable to reach their job or self-employment location because they must travel through affected areas and are prevented from doing so by the disaster
• individuals who were to commence employment or self-employment but were prevented by the disaster
• individuals who became the breadwinner or major support for a household because of the death of the head of household due to the disaster
• individuals who cannot work or perform services in self-employment 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, or if the disaster prompted lack of work, or loss of revenues, from an entity in the area that was damaged destroyed, or closed by the government.

In addition to assistance filing the claim, Iowa Workforce Development Centers offer reemployment services, including testing, counseling and placement. Job search and career information is also available through their web site.