FLORIDA, USA — Florida businesses and residents can now apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) if they faced loss following Hurricane Debby, FloridaCommerce announced on Tuesday.
Those whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted due to the storm and are not eligible for regular state or federal reemployment assistance benefits may apply.
DUA is available for weeks of unemployment starting from Aug. 4 up until Feb. 8, as long as your unemployment is still related to Hurricane Debby.
17 Florida counties are eligible, including five in the Tampa Bay area.
Here are the counties and the deadline to submit a claim in each of them:
- Alachua (Nov. 4)
- Baker (Nov. 18)
- Citrus (Nov. 18)
- Columbia (Oct. 15)
- Dixie (Oct. 15)
- Gilchrist (Oct. 15)
- Hamilton (Oct. 15)
- Hillsborough (Nov. 18)
- Jefferson (Nov. 4)
- Lafayette (Oct. 15)
- Levy (Oct. 15)
- Madison (Oct. 28)
- Manatee (Oct. 15)
- Pinellas (Nov. 18)
- Sarasota (Oct. 15)
- Suwannee (Oct. 15)
- Taylor (Oct. 15)
Anyone who applies after their deadline may be denied benefits unless you provide "good cause."
You must also meet at least one of the following requirements to apply for DUA:
- Are unemployed as a direct result of the disaster
- Are not able to work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to the place of employment as a direct result of the disaster
- Can prove that the work or self-employment they can no longer perform as a direct result of the disaster was their principal source of income
- Were unable to reach their job or self-employment location because they must travel through the affected area and are prevented from doing so as a direct result of the disaster
- Cannot perform work or self-employment because they were injured as a direct result of the disaster
- Became the breadwinner or major supporter of a household because the head of the household died as a direct result of the disaster
Applicants must submit their social security number, check stubs and documentation that proves you were working or self-employed when the storm happened.
To file a DUA claim, you can click here or call 1-800-385-3920.