Goodlettsville, Tennessee – Following the devastating tornado outbreak on December 9, residents in four Middle Tennessee counties now have access to Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA).
Eligibility and Application Process
The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) has announced the availability of DUA for individuals whose employment or self-employment was severely impacted by the tornadoes. The counties eligible for this assistance include Davidson, Dickson, Montgomery, and Sumner. This assistance covers the disaster period beginning December 10 and ending on June 16, 2024.
Individuals residing, working, or commuting through these affected counties are required to submit their applications for DUA by January 16. It’s important to note that DUA is a specific type of unemployment insurance benefit that becomes available in the wake of a disaster.
To be eligible for DUA, individuals must meet certain criteria:
- They must have exhausted all regular unemployment benefits from any state or be ineligible for regular unemployment benefits.
- They should have been working or self-employed or were scheduled to begin work or self-employment in the disaster-affected area.
- Their inability to work or perform services must be a direct result of physical damage or destruction to their place of employment caused by the disaster.
- The work or self-employment that they can no longer perform was their primary source of income.
- They cannot perform work or self-employment due to an injury caused directly by the disaster.
- They have become the breadwinner or major supporter of a household due to the death of the head of the household as a direct result of the disaster.
Applications for DUA can be submitted online at Jobs4TN.gov or by calling 1-877-813-0950, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CST. When filing online, applicants should specify that their application is related to the damage caused by the severe storms, straight-line winds, and tornadoes. This assistance aims to provide a crucial financial lifeline to those who have been adversely affected by these catastrophic weather events.
