Governor Culver Announces Filing Deadline For Disaster Unemployment Assistance Extended

Des Moines, Iowa – Today, Governor Chet Culver announced that Iowa Workforce Development has received an extension of the filing deadline for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA). All 62 counties currently declared eligible for DUA have an extended filing deadline of August 12, 2008.

“Hardworking Iowans now have one more resource available to them as we continue our statewide efforts to Rebuild Iowa,” said Governor Culver. “Small business owners, farmers, and self-employed Iowans are the backbone of our economy, and I encourage all who have been affected by the storms to take advantage of this deadline extension. Though the recovery will be long and sometimes difficult, I believe working together, we will rebuild our state stronger, safer, and better than before.”

“This is welcomed relief for Iowans across the state,” indicated Iowa Workforce Development Director Elisabeth Buck. “The filing deadline for Butler, Black Hawk and Buchanan had already passed, with 39 additional counties set to expire by Monday the 21st. This extension provided needed relief to Iowans and farmers in particular who are just beginning to make final crop assessments.”

Iowans living or working in any of the 62 declared counties who have lost their job due to the recent bad weather, should apply for these federal benefits. The disaster declaration is for the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding which began on May 25, 2008 and continued through June.

All claims need to be filed by the extended deadline of August 12, 2008, according to Buck. The benefits cover self-employed workers not usually entitled to unemployment insurance, including Iowa farmers. People applying for DUA need to provide proof of past earnings, such as business records or bank statements and their most recent income tax form, at the time they file their claim. Any Iowa Workforce Development Center can accept DUA claims or individuals can file on the Workforce website at “file an unemployment claim”.

Those eligible for benefits in addition to individuals who lost their jobs directly due to the severe storms, flooding, and tornadoes may also include: (1) individuals who are unable to reach their job or self-employment location because they must travel through the affected area and are prevented from doing so by the disaster, (2) individuals who were to commence employment or self-employment but were prevented by the disaster, (3) individuals who became the breadwinner or major support for a household because of the death of the head of household due to the disaster, or (4 )individuals who cannot work or perform services in self-employment because of an injury caused as a direct result of the disaster. Unemployment is a direct result of the major disaster if the unemployment resulted from: (1) the physical damage or destruction of the place of employment; (2) 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; or (3) 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.