FRANKFORT, KY - Gov. Andy Beshear has announced that, as a result of Presidential Disaster Declaration FEMA 4630, the state is accepting applications for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) for the 14 counties – Caldwell, Christian, Fulton, Graves, Hart, Hickman, Hopkins, Logan, Lyon, Marshall, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Taylor and Warren – hit hard by severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding and tornadoes and currently approved for individual assistance.
Individuals who became unemployed or those who are self-employed and had work interrupted in those fourteen counties as a direct result of the severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding and tornadoes on Dec. 10, 2021, are eligible to apply for DUA benefits through the Kentucky Office of Unemployment Insurance.
DUA is available to individuals who:
- Worked or were self-employed, or were scheduled to begin work or self-employment;
- Can no longer work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to the place of employment as a direct result of a disaster, which can also include 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;
- Establish that the work or self-employment they can no longer perform was their primary source of income;
- Do not qualify for regular unemployment insurance benefits from any state;
- Cannot work or resume self-employment because of an injury as a direct result of the disaster; or
- Became the breadwinner or major support of a household because of the death of the head of the household.
Following Gov. Beshear's request, President Joe Biden issued a Major Disaster Declaration on Dec. 12, 2021, that designated 14 Kentucky counties – Caldwell, Christian, Fulton, Graves, Hart, Hickman, Hopkins, Logan, Lyon, Marshall, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Taylor, and Warren – for individual assistance.
In order to qualify for DUA benefits, claimants in eligible counties must show that their employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of the disaster and that they are not otherwise eligible for regular unemployment insurance benefits under state or federal law. Farmers and other self-employed individuals who are traditionally ineligible for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits may qualify for DUA. The federal program requires individuals to provide documents, including a copy of their most recent Federal income tax forms or check stubs, a bill showing their physical address at the time of the disaster and a photo ID, to receive DUA benefits. The administration understands many claimants will not have these documents and will be working to help them obtain new documents. All required documentation must be submitted within 21 days from the day the DUA application is filed.
Affected individuals should visit the Kentucky Career Center website, kcc.ky.gov or call 502.875.0442 to file their initial claim. The deadline to apply for assistance is Jan. 18, 2022.
After claimants apply for UI benefits, they should attend an in-person session at one of the following locations Monday through Wednesday, Dec. 21 – Dec. 22 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- 801 Chestnut Street., Bowling Green KY 42101
- 56 Federal Street., Madisonville, KY 42431
- 233 Ring Road., Elizabethtown, KY 42701
- 3108 Fairview Drive., Owensboro, KY 42303
- 1220 Eagles Way., Mayfield, KY 42066
Additional days and times will be available Dec. 27-29 at locations that are still being finalized. Updated information will be communicated on the Kentucky Career Center website and future press releases with detailed information.
Disaster Unemployment Assistance is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and benefits are not charged to employers.
For more information about the disaster in Western Kentucky:
Kentucky Emergency Management Agency
Follow the Kentucky Career Center on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates.
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