Contact:
Rose Lynch, 608/266-6753
MADISON — Governor Jim Doyle announced today that victims of the severe storms and flooding since May 19, 2004 in seven Wisconsin counties will be eligible to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Residents and persons who worked in Columbia, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Jefferson, Kenosha, Ozaukee, and Winnebago counties are encouraged to apply for this federal assistance to recover from the effects of the recent storms.
“Families affected by these storms face many concerns, and getting a paycheck shouldn’t be one of them,” Governor Doyle said. “Working Wisconsin families can use this federal assistance to temporarily replace their lost income until they get back to work.”
People in those counties may be eligible for DUA if they, as a direct result of the storms and flooding, became unemployed or partially unemployed, were unable to reach their place of employment, or lost work because of an injury and are not eligible for regular unemployment insurance benefits. DUA provides benefits for those who lost employment because of the disaster, but does not pay for damage to homes, businesses, or lost crops. Other federal programs may help cover these losses.
Individuals who became the major supporter of a household because the head of the household died as a result of the storms and flooding are also potentially eligible for DUA benefits. Benefits are based on a person’s earnings for the most recent tax year. As a result, claim applicants will be asked to furnish earnings data from their 2003 federal tax returns. Unemployment benefits can range from $126 to $329 per week and the first potential week payable for DUA benefits is May 23, 2004 through May 29, 2004.
Self-employed farm or other business workers must apply for benefits by July 23, 2004. Applications can be filed by calling the Unemployment Insurance Division in Madison at 608/232-0678, in Milwaukee at 414/438-7700 and toll free at 800/822-5246. A special (TTY) number for the hearing impaired is also available at 888/393-8914.
