Kanawha, Cabell, Mingo, Wayne residents, workers eligible to apply for Federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance

Published: May 28, 2021

CHARLESTON, W.VA. — Gov. Jim Justice and WorkForce West Virginia Acting Commissioner Scott Adkins announced today that Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits are available to qualifying individuals living or working in Kanawha, Cabell, Mingo and Wayne counties, which were designated as major disaster areas by the governor and President Joe Biden on May 20.

Kanawha, Cabell, Mingo and Wayne counties experienced significant flooding on Feb. 27, 2021. Individuals living or working in Kanawha, Cabell, Mingo and Wayne counties who lost their job due to the flooding may apply for federal unemployment benefits. Claims must be filed by ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­June 28, 2021.

The DUA benefits are available to self-employed workers normally not entitled to unemployment insurance. This includes farmers. Those who apply must provide proof of past earnings, such as business records or bank statements, and their most recent income tax form.    

Individuals who are unemployed due to the Feb. 27 floods must contact WorkForce West Virginia by sending an email to WorkForceDocumentation@wv.gov or by calling 304-352-4797 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Individuals eligible for the DUA benefits include:

  1. Individuals who are unable to reach their job or self-employment location because they must travel through the affected area and are prevented from doing so by the disaster.
  2. Individuals who were to commence employment or self-employment but were prevented by the disaster.
  3. Individuals who became the breadwinner or major support for a household because of the death of the head of household due to the disaster.
  4. Individuals who cannot work or perform services in self-employment because of an injury caused as a direct result of the disaster. 

Unemployment is a direct result of the major disaster if the unemployment resulted from:

  1. The physical damage or destruction of the place of employment.
  2. The physical inaccessibility of the place of employment due to its closure by the federal, state, or local government in immediate response to the disaster.
  3. 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.

In addition to helping file a DUA claim, WorkForce West Virginia offers reemployment services, including testing, counseling and job placement. For more information, to report fraud, schedule a call with a WorkForce representative or access the online claimant system visit www.workforcewv.org.