Deadline Looming for Disaster Aid for Workers from May Storms for 7 Counties

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Workers may be eligible for disaster unemployment assistance if they live in the following counties and lost work or earnings due to May's severe storms and tornadoes:

* Carter County
* Cleveland County
* McIntosh County
* Okfuskee County
* Oklahoma County
* Pottawatomie County
* Seminole County

The deadline to apply is June 25.

To be eligible for DUA under Presidential Disaster Declaration FEMA-1917-DR, individuals must:

• have worked or been scheduled to work in the disaster area, but because of the disaster no longer have a job or a place to work in the area, or could not get to the place of work because of disaster damage

• have been prevented from working by an injury or illness as a direct result of the disaster; or

• have become the head of the household and need employment because the head of the household died as a result of the disaster

To claim DUA, unemployment of an affected individual must be a direct result of one of the following:

• physical damage or destruction of the place of employment

• physical inaccessibility of the place of employment due to its closure by the federal, state or local government in immediate response to the disaster; or lack of work or loss of revenues, if prior to the disaster the employer or self-employed business received at least a majority of its revenue or income from an entity in the major disaster area that was damaged or destroyed in the disaster or an entity in the major disaster area closed by the federal, state or local government

If you believe you may be eligible, call the OESC Unemployment Insurance Service Centers. The number for Oklahoma City residents is 525-1500. For all others, call 1(800) 555-1554 to begin the claim process.

When calling to apply for benefits, individuals should have, when possible, (1) their Social Security number and (2) the name and address of their last employer or prospective employer.