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Sep 19, 2011 8:09 pm

Disaster Unemployment Assistance available for those affected by Hurricane Irene

By Colleen P. Clark

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 following numbers, from any county, and a DUA specialist will provide assistance: Union City, (201) 601-4100;Freehold, (732) 761-2020; or 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,” said Lt. Paul Miller, state coordinating officer of the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management.

“Don’t hesitate. Let the Department of Labor and Workforce Development determine your eligibility,”

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, please visit http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/index.html.

About Colleen P. Clark

I started my career in newspapers in 2004 with South Jersey Newspapers Co. and worked for The News and the Sunbeam for six years. I left the business briefly in 2010 to work in a governmental public affairs office, but after a brief stint and a bit of withdrawl, I realized that I belonged in news. I joined the team at Elauwit Media in May 2011 as a managing editor and my days are now back to being hectic as usual, just the way it should be.View all posts by Colleen P. Clark →