US Dept. of Labor extends disaster unemployment assistance for Isaías victims
The US Department of Labor announced it has extended the deadline to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) claims related to Tropical Storm Isaías to Jan. 29, 2021, based on Puerto Rico’s continued recovery from tropical storm impacts.
Individuals who were employed or self-employed who live in Aguada, Hormigueros, Mayagüez or Rincón and became unemployed as a direct consequence of Tropical Storm Isaías may be eligible to receive DUA, the agency said.
To be eligible for DUA, the applicant must:
- File a regular unemployment insurance claim and be determined ineligible for benefits;
- Be unemployed or partially unemployed as a direct result of the disaster;
- Be able and available for work, unless injured as a direct result of the disaster;
- File an application for DUA by Jan. 29; and,
- Have not refused an offer of employment in a suitable position.
Survivors can find the DUA application at trabajo.pr.gov. Applications can be can placed in the mailbox located at the nearest Puerto Rico Labor Department office, from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or uploaded at trabajo.pr.gov/DocUploader.
To receive DUA benefits, all required documentation must be submitted to the Puerto Rico Department of Labor within 21 days from the day the DUA application is filed. Required documentation may include Social Security number, a copy of the most recent federal income tax return, check stubs or documentation to support that applicants were working or self-employed when the disaster occurred, the agency said.
