NEPTUNE, N.J – Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is available to self-employed residents or individuals who worked in New Jersey and are unemployed as a direct result of Hurricane Irene, according to state and federal officials.
The application deadline for DUA in Bergen, Essex, Morris, Passaic and Somerset counties is Oct. 3.
The application deadline for DUA in Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Salem, Sussex, Warren, and Union counties is Oct. 7.
Unemployment insurance claims filed after the deadlines may be ineligible for payment.
The first step is to file for unemployment insurance benefits by calling a New Jersey Reemployment Call Center. Individuals who need DUA may call any one of the numbers below, from any county, and a DUA specialist will provide assistance.
Union City: 201-601-4100
Freehold: 732-761-2020
Cumberland: 856-507-2340
If it is determined that a worker or self-employed individual is not eligible for Unemployment Insurance (UI), the Disaster Unemployment Assistance program may pay benefits to those whose work has been lost or interrupted as a direct result of a disaster.
DUA is designed to cover workers and self-employed individuals such as artists, farmers and farm workers, freelance writers and photographers, and others who normally would not be eligible for UI.
“If anyone has lost their job because of a disaster, I urge you to apply for the Disaster Unemployment Assistance. Don’t hesitate. Let the Department of Labor and Workforce Development determine your eligibility,” said Lt. Paul Miller, state coordinating officer of the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management.
Disaster Unemployment Assistance information is available in Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC). Residents can find the DRC closest to them online at: http://asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/home.htm . For information on all New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development programs and services, visithttp://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/index.html.
# # #
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Follow FEMA online at http://blog.fema.gov, www.twitter. com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, andwww.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.