Floods Put You Out of Work? There Might Be Help

Connecticut residents who are unemployed because of severe flooding in March are now eligible for federal assistance.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell filed an appeal after the federal government denied pleas for help for individuals in New Haven, Windham, Fairfield, Middlesex and New London counties.

Since filing the appeal, President Barack Obama’s administration has decided that residents of the federally declared counties are eligible for assistance.

The help comes in the form of Disaster Unemployment Assistance and people who are unable to reach their job because they must travel through the affected area might be eligible.

Others who might be eligible include people who were supposed to start work but were prevented by the disaster and those who became the major support for a household when the main source of income died as a result of the disaster.

The benefits also might extend to people who cannot work because of an injury received as a direct result of the disaster.

Before an individual can be determined eligible for DUA, the state Department of Labor must determine that the individual is otherwise not eligible for regular unemployment insurance benefits under any state or federal law.

To be considered, file a claim with your local TeleBenefits line. Check the blue pages of your telephone directory, visit the Labor Department’s web site at www.ct.gov/dol, or contact Infoline at 211 to find your local contact.

Under federal guidelines, the deadline for filing for DUA benefits is July 1. DUA claims filed after the deadline may be ineligible for payment.
 

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