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Disaster Unemployment Assistance in Ohio

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Does the Disaster Unemployment Assistance program apply to employers in Ohio?

The Disaster Unemployment Assistance program is a federal program that applies to many employers and employees in states across the country, including the state of Ohio. The program is in place so that if there is a federal disaster, employees that have lost work as a direct result of that disaster can receive some financial assistance from the federal government.

A disaster may be a flood, a fire, or a storm. However, not all disasters automatically qualify for coverage. In order for a disaster to qualify, the President of the United States needs to declare that the disaster is a federal disaster worthy of qualification. Only then can funds be released. The program may compensate some employees for up to 29 months after the disaster.

If an employee wishes to receive financial assistance under the program, the individual cannot also be receiving unemployment assistance from any state across the country, including from Ohio. Also, the employee must meet at least one of the following conditions:

·         Be employed at the time of the disaster with every reason to believe that the employment would have continued if it had not been for the disaster

·         If the employee was not yet employed, but had a contract that was scheduled to begin, the individual may also receive compensation

·         The individual should be out of work as a direct result of the disaster. For example, the individual should be injured and unable to work. Alternatively, the individual should have worked for an employer that lost his or her place of work in the disaster.

·         Individuals that have become the head of the household as a direct result of the death of the former head of the household in the disaster may also qualify to receive coverage. CB