MAINE – DISASTER UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS AVAILABLE
Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is available to individuals who were affected by severe storms that occurred on January 9 and 23, 2024 in Maine. Impacted individuals who live in, work in, or travel through Cumberland, Hancock, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Waldo, Washington, and York counties may be eligible for DUA benefits beginning the week of January 14, 2024.
Individuals can apply online via https://assist.reemployme.maine.gov/ or by phone at 1-800-593-7660. Applications must be submitted by April 22, 2024.
As a reminder, DUA is an unemployment insurance benefit made available after a disaster and is only available to individuals who:
- Have applied for and used all regular unemployment benefits from any state, or do not qualify for unemployment benefits.
- Worked or were self-employed or scheduled to begin work or self-employment in the disaster area.
- Can no longer work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to the place of employment as a direct result of the disaster.
- Establish that the work or self-employment they can no longer perform was their primary source of income.
- Cannot perform work or self-employment because of an injury as a direct result of the disaster.
- Became the breadwinner or major support of a household because of the death of the head of household.
WASHINGTON – UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE OVERPAYMENT INTEREST REMOVED
A recent bill signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee removes interest on unemployment overpayments from the pandemic period – between February 2, 2020 and September 4, 2021. Interest will not be charged on these overpayments until January 1, 2025. This allows claimants the opportunity to receive a waiver for their overpayment or repay the overpayment without additional accrued debt.
If an individual has already made interest payments, the Employment Security Department will either apply any applicable payments towards any principal balance or refund the interest payments.
