Disaster Unemployment Assistance Expanded

Bedford, Bland, Carroll, Pittsylvania, Russell, Wise Counties and the City of Radford in Virginia have been added to the Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) declaration following Hurricane Helene, bringing the total number of eligible Virginia communities to 16.

DUA provides temporary financial assistance to individuals whose employment or self-employment has been impacted by the hurricane in the following communities: Bedford, Bland, Carroll, Giles, Grayson, Montgomery, Pittsylvania, Pulaski, Russell, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise and Wythe Counties, as well as the Cities of Galax and Radford.

On October 1, 2024, President Joe Biden, at the request of Governor Glenn Youngkin, approved a major disaster declaration for Virginia in response to the storm. This declaration allows the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) to offer unemployment assistance to residents affected by the hurricane in these communities.

Eligible individuals, including business owners, seasonal workers, and self-employed individuals who lost jobs or had work hours reduced due to the hurricane, may qualify for DUA. The VEC will accept applications through December 2, 2024, for those residing, working, or scheduled to work in the affected areas when the disaster occurred.

DUA will cover losses from September 25, 2024, and benefits may be paid through April 5, 2025, depending on ongoing unemployment or self-employment disruptions caused by the disaster.

Who May Be Eligible

To be eligible for DUA, you can’t be eligible for regular unemployment benefits in any state. When you apply, you must be able to work, ready and willing to accept work, and have the time and means to work, unless you suffered injuries directly linked to the disaster.

DUA is a federal unemployment program that provides temporary payments for people who, as a direct result of Hurricane Helene:

• No longer have the job that provided their primary source of income.
• Are unable to reach their place of employment.
• Cannot work because of an injury caused by the storm.
• Were unable to begin employment or self-employment due to the storm.
• You became the primary support of your family because of the death of the head of the household because 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.
• Lack of work, or loss of revenues, if, prior to the disaster, the employer or self-employed business received at least a majority of its revenue or income from an entity in the major disaster area that was damaged or destroyed in the disaster or an entity in the major disaster area closed by the federal, state, or local government.

How to Apply

Apply for the DUA benefits online at VEC’s Claimant Self Service at: uidirect.vec.virginia.gov/CSS/CSSLogon.htm which can also be found on VEC’s website: www.vec.virginia.gov or you may call VEC’s Customer Contact Center at 1-866-832-2363. You will first have to complete the UI form to determine eligibility for UI benefits or DUA benefits.

What Information You Need

To complete your application, you will need to provide your Social Security Number (SSN), and the name, address, and dates of employment of all your employers for the past two years, including out-of-state employers.

You will need to provide all supporting evidence no more than 21 days after the application has been filed. The documents you need to provide might vary depending on your circumstances and previous employers but could include proof of identity, your most recent federal income tax form, and other documents proving that you were working or self-employed when the disaster occurred. If you need to submit proof of income for the past year, you can submit those documents after the 21 days deadline but no later than the end of the disaster assistance period. Delays in submitting your documents can impact your benefits and overall processing times.

Visit VEC’s website for more information about DUA and other programs you may qualify for. You can also contact us at 1-866-832-2363. To learn about all the federal assistance programs, you and your family might qualify for, we recommend contacting FEMA’s helpline at 1-800-621-3362.

Reemployment services are available at Virginia Works offices around the state.