DES MOINES, Iowa—Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is now available to eligible individuals in 11 Iowa counties as a result of a Major Disaster Declaration signed by President Trump on Aug. 17, 2020.  Iowa Workforce Development is accepting applications for DUA from individuals whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted due to severe storms beginning Aug. 10, 2020.  Individuals from the following counties are now eligible: Benton, Boone, Cedar, Jasper, Linn, Marshall, Polk, Poweshiek, Scott, Story, and Tama.  DUA expands eligibility for unemployment benefits and provides assistance to the self-employed, including business owners and farmers.  DUA can provide disaster-affected homeowners, renters, and businesses with programs and services to maximize recovery, including assistance with housing, personal property replacement, and medical expenses.

Individuals from Linn County must file DUA applications by Sept. 24, 2020.  Individuals from Benton, Boone, Cedar, Jasper, Marshall, Polk, Poweshiek, Scott, Story, and Tama counties must file for DUA by Oct. 2, 2020.

Eligibility

To be eligible for DUA benefits under Presidential Disaster Declaration FEMA-[DR-4557], 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.
• Must be a U.S. national or a qualified alien;
• Does not qualify for regular unemployment insurance benefits from any state;
• Must have worked or was self-employed in, or was 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 their 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.

What You Need

Individuals will need their Social Security Number and the name and address of their last employer or prospective employer to file for DUA.  Applicants are required to provide proof (at the time of filing or within 21 days of filing their DUA claim) 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.  A copy of the most recent federal income tax forms or check stubs may also be required (self-employed individuals should also provide Schedules SE and Schedule C or Schedule F).

Deadline 

Individuals from Linn County must file DUA applications by Sept. 24, 2020.  Individuals from Benton, Boone, Cedar, Jasper, Marshall, Polk, Poweshiek, Scott, Story, and Tama counties must file for DUA by Oct. 2, 2020.  Applications received after the deadlines will be considered untimely, unless the individual provides good cause for filing after the deadline.  Individuals can receive up to 27 weeks of DUA benefits as long as his/her unemployment continues to be a result of the disaster.  Eligibility for DUA benefits will be determined on a week-to-week basis.

How To Apply

Individuals who may be eligible for assistance, must file a claim online at iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov/file-claim-unemployment-insurance-benefits.  Claim applications can be filed online at any time.   If assistance is needed over the phone, please call IWD Customer Service at 1-866-239-0843.  After a claim application has been submitted, refer to the additional DUA information on our website at iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov/disaster-unemployment-assistance-0.

(contributed press release)