Workers rebuild Red Village Road in Lyndonville on Monday, August 5.. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger
With last week’s federal disaster declaration for a storm that hit the Northeast Kingdom hard in late July, federal Federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance is now available for those whose livelihoods were affected by the storm and its aftermath, the Vermont Department of Labor announced on Thursday.
The July 29-31 storm dumped more than 8 inches of rain across parts of the Northeast Kingdom, with Brighton, Lyndonvillle and St. Johnsbury the hardest areas hit by floods.
On Sept. 26, the Biden administration approved a disaster declaration for Caledonia, Essex and Orleans, allowing for both individual assistance to affected households and public assistance to reimburse municipalities for July storm-related expenses.
Under the declaration, individuals living, working or scheduled to work in Caledonia, Essex and Orleans may also be eligible, including independent contractors, self-employed individuals and agricultural workers. Vermonters impacted by the July 9-11 storm are already eligible for this insurance program.
“We’re committed to working with FEMA to deliver DUA benefits to those in need efficiently,” Commissioner Michael Harrington said in a statement.
To be eligible for disaster unemployment, individuals must first file for regular unemployment benefits and indicate in that filing if they lost employment due to the disaster. Even if you are not eligible for regular unemployment, you may be eligible for disaster unemployment, the labor department said in the statement. In that case, you would fill out a separate application.
Impacted individuals from the three NEK counties have until December 2, 2024, to file a claim. The first full week for which benefits would be available is August 4-10, 2024.
Vermonters may be eligible if they were injured in the flooding and are unable to work or if their workplace or mode of transportation to their workplace was destroyed, damaged or no longer in operation as a direct result of the flooding.
If most of a claimant’s income comes from an area affected by the flooding and their business or their employer’s business was adversely affected as a direct result, they may also be eligible. More information is available from the Vermont Department of Labor online or through the Vermont claimant assistance center at 1-877-214-3330.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Disaster unemployment benefits available for Vermonters affected by late July storm.