Important news for LA workers impacted by the wildfires: check out if you qualify for the $450 DUA payments
Workers in California who have been affected by the wildfires that have ravaged southern California can now claim Disaster Unemployment Assistance.
Southern California has been ravaged by intense wildfires spurred on by powerful Santa Ana winds which have forced over 130,000 people to evacuate and many of them have lost their homes. Fortunately, rains have arrived to aid firefighters in the efforts to extinguish the blazes that are still raging.
President Joe Biden signed a Major Disaster Declaration on January 8 making disaster relief available for those who have been affected. Part of that assistance is federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA), which is now available for workers and self-employed people who do not qualify for regular unemployment benefits.
Full-time workers who are deemed to be eligible can receive between $186 and $450 per week, for up to 26 weeks. Part-time workers may also be eligible DUA benefits.
How Californians can apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)
The fastest way to apply for DUA benefits is to go to the myEDD web portal, the federal benefits are administered through the California Employment Development Department (EDD). On the homepage select UI Online where you can create an account or log into an account that you’ve previously created.
Users have a choice of in English, Spanish, Armenian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Besides the first two you can find the other languages in the upper bar by clicking on the ‘Language Resources’ tab.
⚠️Disaster Unemployment Assistance for Workers impacted by LA Fires ⚠️
— EDD (@CA_EDD) January 24, 2025
Workers affected by the recent California wildfires are eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA).
Info is available in multiple languages: Spanish, Armenian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional… pic.twitter.com/lAaVnxCVkC
You must first apply for regular Unemployment Insurance, but impacted workers eligible for DUA should check the box on the application that asks if their unemployment is a direct result of a recent disaster. EED will determine your eligibility for regular UI benefits or DUA benefits.
While the process is ongoing you may receive a letter informing you that you are not eligible for regular UI as EED works on processing your DUA application.
DUA benefits are available to workers who experienced loses beginning the week of January 12, 2025, and after. If you became unemployed or lost work due to the federal disaster as of January 12 you can request that your claim start on that date, even if you apply later.
Unless the individual has good cause to submit a late application, DUA benefit claims must be filed by March 10, 2025. Benefits will be payable until July 12, 2025, the last payable week of this emergency benefit.
The criteria to claim DUA benefits are as follows:
- Worked, or were a business owner or self-employed, or were scheduled to begin work or self-employment, in the disaster area. This includes, and is not limited to, those in agricultural and fishing industries.
- Cannot reach their workplace due to the disaster or can no longer work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to their place of employment as a direct result of the disaster.
- Cannot perform work or self-employment due to an injury as a direct result of the disaster.
- Became the head of their household due to a death caused by the disaster.
- The work or self-employment they can no longer perform must have been their primary source of income.
You will have to submit all required documentation within 21 days from the day the DUA application is filed. Required documentation includes:
- Most recent federal income tax form
- Check stubs
- Other documentation to support that the applicant was working or self-employed when the disaster occurred
Those who are self-employed can obtain the necessary documentation from banks, government entities, or affidavits from individuals having knowledge of their business.
Governor Gavin Newsom also declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County and issued an executive order waiving the one-week-waiting period for affected workers who qualify for regular unemployment benefits.
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