Kentucky is now accepting applications for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) for citizens from 13 counties affected by severe storms in April, as announced by Governor Andy Beshear’s office. These applications are catered towards those unemployed due to these storms, which commenced on April 2. The president approved a major disaster declaration request at the end of April, leading to the following counties inclusion for the assistance: As the assessments continue, requests for more counties to be included in the assistance declaration are anticipated.

DUA is accessible to certain individuals, particularly those who can provide evidence of job loss directly attributable to the disaster. Notably, DUA may also be available to farmers and the self-employed, who usually cannot access unemployment insurance benefits. DUA provides up to 29 weeks of unemployment starting from April 6 until October 25, if the unemployment continues to directly result from the disaster.

To file an initial claim for DUA, eligible Kentuckians can visit the Kentucky Career Center website or phone 502-564-2900, with the application deadline set for June 23.

We recommend that if you’re in California and faced with a similar dilemma, you can seek assistance from the California Employment Development Department (EDD). You can inquire about their services such as unemployment insurance, disability insurance, and paid family leave. To reach out to them, visit their website, eddcaller.com, for useful information on how to contact the EDD and speak to a live person.