Disaster Unemployment Assistance Available for Residents Affected by Midland-Area Flood

July 29, 2020

Contact: Jason Moon, 517-282-0041

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is available to eligible individuals as a result of a major disaster declared by the President on July 9, 2020. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) is accepting applications for DUA from individuals in Arenac, Gladwin, Iosco, Midland, and Saginaw Counties whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted due to severe storms and flooding between May 16, 2020 through May 22, 2020.  Applications for DUA must be filed by August 28, 2020.

To qualify for DUA benefits under Presidential Disaster Declaration FEMA- 4547 DR, individuals:

• Must be an unemployed or self-unemployed worker whose unemployment was caused as a direct result of the major disaster declared by the President, and
• 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, to be eligible for benefits, individuals must meet one of the following:

• 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.

Before applying for the DUA, UIA must first determine if the individual is eligible for regular state unemployment benefits.  Individuals can apply for regular state unemployment benefits online at michigan.gov/uia through the Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM).  If the claim for regular unemployment benefits is denied, individuals can then apply for DUA and should immediately fill out the paper application package that is available online at michigan.gov/uia. The application package is also available by using UIA’s customer service line at 1-866-500-0017 (TTY customers use 1-866-366-0004).

When applying for DUA individuals will need their Social Security Number and the name and address of their last employer or prospective employer to file for DUA. Individuals are required to provide proof that they were employed or self-employed at the time the disaster occurred or were scheduled to begin (or resume) a job or self-employment when the disaster occurred. Proof can be provided with the application. If proof is not provided with the application, it must be provided within 21 days after filing the application. If not provided, the application and claim will be denied.

If the DUA claim is established, continued eligibility to receive benefit payments will be determined on a week-to-week basis.