- New Haven County is now included in a federal unemployment assistance program related to the remnants of Hurricane Ida
- People can receive assistance if disruptions from the storm caused them to become unemployed or work reduced hours
- Claimants must first file for regular Connecticut unemployment benefits before seeking Disaster Unemployment Assistance
Summary by Dirk Langeveld
A federal assistance program for those who were left unemployed due to the remnants of Hurricane Ida has been extended to New Haven County, Connecticut Department of Labor Interim Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo has announced.
The Disaster Unemployment Assistance program is already available to residents who experienced a job interruption or loss due to the storm, which affected the region in early September. It was already available to residents in Fairfield and New London counties as well as the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribal Nations.
Bartolomeo urged people who live and work in these areas who were affected by the storm to familiarize themselves with the eligibility requirements and seek additional assistance through the Consumer Contact Center, American Job Centers, and the Connecticut Department of Labor website. The Disaster Unemployment Assistance program has been used rarely in Connecticut, and was last implemented 10 years ago after an October ice storm.
- Disaster Unemployment Assistance helps workers whose employment was lost or interrupted due to a major disaster declared by the President, and who are not eligible for regular state unemployment insurance benefits
- The program extends to workers, some self-employed individuals, and the surviving spouses of heads of household who died in the storm
- Claimants must first file for regular state unemployment benefits, and file for Disaster Unemployment Assistance if they are ineligible for the state program
- To qualify, residents must live, work, or travel to work in affected areas; and have experienced unemployment or reduced hours due to storm damage at their place of business, road closures, or a lack of work because their business depends on a non-operational entity within the affected area
- Claimants must also have supporting documentation such as proof of employment, documentation of wages, and earnings for the 2020 tax year as well as documentation of wages or lost earnings directly related to Hurricane Ida
- Applications for assistance must be submitted by Jan. 10
