Disaster Unemployment Assistance Available in Parts of California

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is now available to individuals in California who have been affected by the devastating wildfires. Here’s what you need to know about eligibility, the impacted areas, and how to apply.

Unemployment Funds Made Available to Individuals

The recent wildfires in California have caused significant damage, displacing residents and disrupting businesses across multiple counties. To support recovery efforts, Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) funding is now available.

DUA is a program jointly administered by the U.S. Department of Labor and FEMA to help state unemployment insurance (UI) agencies provide financial assistance to individuals whose employment has been impacted by natural disasters. In California, individuals residing in areas officially declared disaster areas by FEMA are eligible to apply for this assistance.

Important Note: The affected areas are continuously being updated, for more information regarding the wildfires, visit: https://www.ca.gov/LAfires/.

To qualify, individuals must meet the following criteria:

• Be unemployed or partially unemployed as a direct result of the wildfires.
• Lived, worked, or were scheduled to work in the affected areas during the disaster.
• Meet one or more of the following conditions:
  • No longer have a job or place of work.
  • Cannot reach their place of work.
  • Cannot work due to damage to their workplace.
  • Cannot work due to an injury sustained in the disaster.
  • Became the primary household provider due to the death of the head of household as a result of the disaster.

DUA benefits are also available to self-employed individuals who have lost their source of income due to the disaster.

Important Note: DUA is only available to individuals who are not eligible for regular UI (Unemployment Insurance) in California. However, anyone impacted can file for UI and the EDD (CA Employment Development Department) will determine if it will be processed as a regular UI claim , and if not, then processed as DUA.

How Individuals Apply for DUA

Affected individuals should visit FEMA online for more information regarding the California Wildfires and Straight-line Winds DR-4856-CA declared disaster - or for the fastest way to file for assistance, visit https://www.disasterassistance.gov/.

The current deadline for filing DUA claims related to wildfires in Los Angeles County is March 10, 2025.

How Employers May be Affected

Employers should be aware of how DUA filings may impact their operations. Any benefits claimed under the DUA program are 100% federally funded which means employers’ UI accounts will not be charged. While employer chargeability for regular UI that is related to a disaster varies from state to state, California statute does not provide for relief of charges to affected employers. It is noteworthy that the customary waiting week has been waived by Governor Newsom.

Need Help Managing Unemployment Costs?

Equifax Workforce Solutions provides tools and expertise to help you navigate unemployment claims, reduce costs, and help you stay up to date on changing regulatory requirements. Contact us to learn how we can help you during this challenging time.

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