TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that the federal government has expanded Disaster Unemployment Assistance for residents of Nassau and Seminole counties who have lost jobs as a result of severe storms and flooding during Hurricane Matthew. On October 17, 2016, the federal government approved a limited part of Governor Scott’s request for a major disaster declaration for Flagler, St. John, Volusia and Putnam counties, allowing the use of Disaster Unemployment Assistance funds for individuals affected by the storm.  The declaration has since been expanded to include Brevard, Indian River, Duval, Nassau and Seminole counties.


Federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance, administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, assists individuals who become unemployed as a direct result of a federally declared disaster and who do not qualify for regular reemployment assistance benefits.  The program also covers self-employed individuals, owners of farms and ranches, farm and ranch workers, as well as fishers and others who are not normally covered by state reemployment assistance benefits.


The deadline for Disaster Unemployment applications varies by county:


• November 18, 2016: Flagler, St. John, Volusia and Putnam
• November 21, 2016: Indian River and Brevard
• November 23, 2016: Duval
• November 28, 2016: Nassau and Seminole


Applicants must be legal U.S. residents and must have been working in or residing in the counties listed above. The individual must: (1) have become unemployed as a direct result of the disaster or (2) be unable to reach the place of employment as a direct result of the disaster or (3) have been scheduled to begin work and does not have a job or is unable to reach the job as a direct result of the disaster or (4) have become the major support for a household because the head of the household has died as a direct result of the disaster or (5) be unable to work because of an injury caused directly by the disaster.


To file a Disaster Unemployment claim, call 1-800-681-8102 or go to https://connect.myflorida.com/Claimant/Core/Login.ASPX.


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