Disaster Unemployment Assistance Expanded to All New Jersey Counties Due to Hurricane Sandy

Update:

Gov. Chris Christie and the U. S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced Friday, Nov. 9, that New Jersey residents in all 21 counties will have until Feb. 4, 2013, to apply for coverage under the federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance program as a result of damages caused by Hurricane Sandy. 

The order establishes one deadline date, Feb. 4, 2013, for New Jersey residents to seek coverage under the federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) program and extends the timeline within which people may file a claim. The program covers people in all 21 New Jersey counties, especially self-employed individuals, who were left unemployed as a direct result of the storm and who may not be covered by regular Unemployment Insurance.

Editor's Note: The following is a news release issued by Gov. Christie's office.

The U. S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced it approved Governor Chris Christie’s request to extend Disaster Unemployment Assistance to cover all New Jersey counties as a result of Hurricane Sandy.   

Federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is now available for persons in all New Jersey counties, especially self-employed individuals, who were living or working in the affected counties at the time of the disaster, and who are unemployed as a direct result of the damages caused by the storm.  

Most impacted workers may already qualify for regular Unemployment Insurance, which is why anyone who plans to file a DUA claim should first file a regular claim for Unemployment Insurance. The federal DUA is a special program that covers many people who otherwise may not be eligible for regular Unemployment Insurance.   

If you are unemployed because of the disaster that began on Oct. 28, you should FIRST file for Unemployment Insurance benefits through the Internet by going to www.njuifile.net. Please note that due to higher than normal volume as a result of Hurricane Sandy, the system is experiencing some delays. As a result, individuals are encouraged to file via the Internet between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. 

The Internet processes claims faster. However, if needed, people may also file a claim by telephone by contacting the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s Re-employment Call Centers at:

• North Jersey (201) 601-4100
• Central Jersey (732) 761-2020
• South Jersey (856) 507-2340
• Out of State (888) 795-6672

The FEMA expansion of the DUA coverage creates three separate deadlines for the filing of applications.

A 30-day deadline ending Dec. 3, 2012 is in effect for filing DUA claims involving employment issues arising because of Hurricane Sandy in Atlantic, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Union counties.

A 30-day deadline ending Dec. 6, 2012 is in effect for filing DUA claims involving employment issues arising because of Hurricane Sandy in Bergen and Somerset counties.

A 30-day deadline ending Dec. 10, 2012 is in effect for filing DUA claims involving employment issues arising because of Hurricane Sandy in Burlington, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Morris, Passaic, Salem, Sussex, and Warren counties.

The assistance was initially granted last week to people living in Atlantic, Bergen, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset and Union counties. FEMA has now included Burlington, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Morris, Passaic, Salem, Sussex, and Warren counties for DUA coverage.

For additional information regarding Disaster Unemployment Assistance, including a list of frequently asked questions, go to http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/ui/aftrfile/dua.html.

For more information on FEMA services please call the FEMA emergency number at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. Information is also available via the Internet at www.disasterassistance.gov and www.fema.gov.

For information on all New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development programs and services visit http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/index.html and www.Jobs4Jersey.com.