Vermont Department of Labor Shares Disaster Unemployment Assistance Resources 

Posted by AIV

On July 20, the Vermont Department of Labor announced the availability of federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits for Vermonters affected by severe flooding starting July 7.

Individuals residing, working, or scheduled to work in Chittenden, Lamoille, Rutland, Washington, Windham, and Windsor counties may be eligible for DUA benefits.  All applicants must apply for regular Unemployment Insurance (UI) before applying for DUA benefits. VDOL will determine if people who are applying for regular UI benefits qualify, and if not, those applicants will be given the ability to apply for DUA.

To ensure the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding DUA, applicants are encouraged to visit the official Vermont Department of Labor website’s DUA page (click here). In addition to the online application and DUA resources, VDOL has also prepared a DUA Frequently Asked Questions  (click here) to address common questions applicants may have about the DUA process. For a step-by-step understanding of the DUA process, interested parties can access the DUA process flow diagram available on the VDOL website. This resource breaks down the application process into five simple steps (click here).

Under DUA program guidance, individuals in the initial counties listed above have until August 21 to file a claim. If additional counties are added to the disaster declaration, a new press release will be issued with a revised deadline to file. The first payable benefit week has been identified as July 9-15.

Examples of eligible DUA claims may include:

  • The claimant was injured in the disaster and is unable to work, whether they are an employee or self-employed;
  • The claimant’s workplace was damaged, destroyed, or not in operation as a result of the disaster;
  • The claimant’s transportation to work is not available as a direct result of the disaster;
  • The claimant cannot get to their job because they must travel through an impacted area and are unable to do so as a direct result of the disaster;
  • The claimant was about to begin working, but the job no longer exists as a direct result of the disaster;
  • Most of the claimant’s income comes from areas affected by the disaster, whether they work for themselves or an employer, and their business is adversely impacted as a direct result of the disaster.