Maine Receives Disaster Unemployment Assistance for Aroostook County Bookmark and Share

May 14, 2008

Maine Department of Labor announces that the Federal Government is making Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) available as a result of the recent severe storms and flooding in Aroostook County.

DUA is designed to provide temporary partial income replacement to people whose employment or self-employment has been lost or interrupted as a direct result of a major disaster and who are not eligible for any other unemployment insurance program. Individuals who, because of the storms and flooding that occurred in Aroostook County, were prevented from starting a new job or self-employment, or who are no longer working normal hours due to this disaster may also qualify for DUA assistance. Additionally, assistance may be payable to people who cannot work due to an injury caused by this disaster.

DUA in Aroostook County will cover unemployment directly resulting from the disaster for up to 26 weeks starting Sunday, May 4, 2008 through Saturday, November 8, 2008 (it does not cover unemployment that may have taken place prior to May 4th). All initial applications for DUA must be filed within 30 days of this announcement - no later than June 13, 2008. Individuals filing DUA initial claim applications will need to provide their social security number and documentation of earnings for the tax year 2007. To be eligible for ongoing weekly DUA benefits, a person must continue to be unemployed as a direct result of the flooding disaster that occurred in Aroostook County.

Area CareerCenters are available to help workers find new employment if necessary. For more information on CareerCenter services for area jobseekers, please call: 1-888-457-8883 (TTY for Deaf or Hard of Hearing: 1-800-794-1110). Visit the CareerCenter online at www.mainecareercenter.com

DUA claims are taken over the telephone. To file a claim for DUA or for questions, please call 1-800-593-7660 (1-888-457-8884 TTY for Deaf or Hard of Hearing). For additional information, see the Maine Department of Labor Disaster Unemployment Assistance website.