Deadline approaching for disaster unemployment assistance

Californians who want to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) for wages lost because of the destructive Southern California wildfires only have a short time left to apply. The deadline for DUA is November 26.

Individuals who were unable to work as a result of the October wildfires in the seven federally declared counties may be eligible for DUA. DUA provides benefits from $144 to a maximum of $450 a week for individuals unemployed as a direct result of a major disaster.

In California, both DUA and Unemployment Insurance claims are processed through the Employment Development Department. Residents can apply online through http://www.edd.ca.gov/fleclaim.htm or by phone by calling toll-free (800) 300-5616 for English, (800) 326-8937 for Spanish or (800) 815-9387 for TTY.