FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Rachel Dumeny
Communications and Outreach Coordinator
Office of the Commissioner
Vermont Department of Labor
(802) 272-4509
Rachel.Dumeny@vermont.gov
U.S. Department of Labor Approves Disaster Unemployment Assistance Benefits for Vermonters in Designated Disaster Areas
Montpelier, Vt. – The Vermont Department of Labor (VDOL) announced today that federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits will be available to Vermonters left without work due to the significant flooding that occurred in Vermont on July 9-11, 2024.
“Vermonters across the State have found their lives, homes, and businesses impacted again by this recent disaster,” said Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington. “Our immediate priority is to ensure that individuals whose employment was impacted by the flooding can receive the benefits they desperately need.”
The Biden Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) have approved Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Lamoille, Orleans, and Washington Counties for Individual Assistance, which includes Disaster Unemployment Assistance. Under this declaration, individuals living, working, or scheduled to work in these counties may be eligible for DUA. This includes independent contractors, self-employed individuals, and agricultural workers.
Individuals seeking assistance through the DUA program must first file for regular unemployment benefits. As part of the application process, claimants should indicate if they were separated from employment due to the disaster. The Department of Labor will make a determination if the claimant is eligible for regular unemployment. If the claimant is not eligible for regular unemployment, the Department will contact the claimant and provide them with the DUA application.
Individuals impacted by the July 9-10 flooding and who live in the initial counties listed above have until October 25, 2024, to file a claim. If additional counties are added to the disaster declaration, a new press release will be issued with a revised filing deadline. The first payable benefit week is July 14-20, 2024, the first full week following the disaster.
Examples of eligible DUA claims may include:
- The claimant was injured in the disaster and is unable to work, whether they are an employee or self-employed;
- The claimant’s workplace was damaged, destroyed, or not in operation as a result of the disaster;
- The claimant’s transportation to work is not available as a direct result of the disaster;
- The claimant cannot get to their job because they must travel through an impacted area and are unable to do so as a direct result of the disaster;
- The claimant was about to begin working, but the job no longer exists as a direct result of the disaster;
- Most of the claimant’s income comes from areas affected by the disaster, whether they work for themselves or an employer, and their business is adversely impacted as a direct result of the disaster.
Individuals interested in learning more about Disaster Unemployment Assistance can find more information online at https://labor.vermont.gov/dua or by calling the Vermont UI Claimant Assistance Center at 1-877-214-3330.
The Department of Labor will issue an updated press release if additional counties become eligible for Individual Assistance.
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This press release and the DUA webpage were reviewed by Readable.com for plain language accessibility.