BATON ROUGE, La. — If you lost work as a result of the tornadoes that struck Livingston and Orleans parishes on Feb. 7, you have until March 15, to apply for disaster unemployment assistance (DUA).
DUA may be available if the disaster affected your employment — even if you’re self-employed, a farmer or a farm worker — and you fall under one of the following categories:
You worked or were self-employed or were scheduled to begin work or self-employment.Your workplace was damaged or destroyed.Can establish that the work or self-employment that can no longer be performed was your principal source of income.Do not qualify for regular unemployment benefits from any state.Cannot perform work or self-employment because of an injury that is a direct result of the disaster.DUA may be available if you’re an affected worker in the one of the following parishes: Livingston and Orleans.
The state encourages you to apply online at www.laworks.net. You may also apply by calling 866-783-5567 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Due to high call volume at this time, applicants are encouraged to try the online method first. Remember that DUA is different from applying for FEMA help and other forms of disaster assistance.
You’ll need your Social Security number, check stubs and documentation to support the claim that you were working, about to begin work or self-employed when the Feb. 7 tornadoes occurred. Additional documentation may be required. All required documentation must be submitted within 21 days from the date the DUA application is filed.
If you’re eligible, you may receive disaster unemployment assistance until Aug. 12, as long as your unemployment continues to be disaster-related.
