The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) announced that Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is available to individuals whose employment was impacted by Hurricane Sally. The state is accepting DUA applications from individuals in Bay, Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties. Impacted individuals in these designated-disaster areas must file DUA applications by November 6, 2020.
Individuals can apply for DUA if they are ineligible to receive federal or state benefits and if the individual:
- Is unemployed as a direct result of the major disaster
- Was scheduled to start employment but was unable to as a direct result of the major disaster
- Is unable to reach their job or self-employment location because the individual must travel through an affected area and is prevented from doing so as a direct result of the major disaster
- Has become the primary breadwinner because the head of the household died as a direct result of the major disaster
- Is unable to work because of an injury that was a direct result of the major disaster.
However, please be aware that applications filed after the deadline will be considered untimely and the state may deny DUA benefits unless the individual provides good cause for a late application. Individuals must submit their Social Security number, check stubs, and documentation as evidence that they were working, or were self-employed, when the disaster occurred. All required or requested documentation must be submitted within 21 days from the date of the DUA application.
DUA will be available for weeks of unemployment beginning September 20, 2020, until March 27, 2021. An individual’s unemployment must be a direct result of the disaster to continue to receive benefits. Any individual who currently receives state benefits, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, or Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits will not be eligible for DUA.
Individuals can file for DUA online at www.FloridaJobs.org or by phone at 1-800-385-3920. Customer service representatives are available Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 6:30pm EST or 6:30am to 5:30pm CST. For more DUA claim information, please call 1-833-FL-APPLY (1-833-352-7759) and choose the speak to an agent option to speak to a customer service representative. Click here to find information on how to apply for DUA and Frequently Asked Questions.
