5.9 Disaster Unemployment Assistance

In times of disaster, the federal government fully funds disaster unemployment assistance (DUA).1  These programs may contain exceptions to the general rules applicable to UC. DUA is potentially available to unemployed workers and the self-employed who lived, worked, or were scheduled to work in a disaster area and who are not qualified to receive regular UC. However, DUA still excludes those trying to enter the job market but unable to find a job because of the disaster. As we saw with the COVID-19 pandemic, the government may enact new unemployment assistance programs to provide additional temporary relief; these programs may have different eligibility rules from regular UC or DUA programs.2

• 142 U.S.C. § 5177.
• 2For more information on the different unemployment programs, see How Do I File for Unemployment Insurance?, U.S. Dep’t Labor; Unemployment Insurance, Nat’l Emp. L. Project.