Tornado victims may be eligible to apply for disaster unemployment assistance

|This is a press release from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES)

JACKSON, Miss. - Individuals in Forrest, Lamar, Lauderdale and Perry Counties in Mississippi, who were unable to work because of the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding may apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA), the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) announced today, January 26, 2017.

People who live or work in one of the affected counties and could not work because of major destruction caused by the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding that occurred January 21, 2017 are entitled to apply and may be eligible to receive DUA.

Self-employed individuals, who were living or working in the affected areas at the time of the major disaster, and those who are unemployed as a result of the major disaster, may be eligible for DUA. In addition, those who were unable to reach their jobs, because the disaster prevented their travel, or who were scheduled to begin employment, but the disaster prevented them from doing so, may apply.

Eligible to apply for DUA are individuals who: (1) became the major support for a household because of the disaster-related death of the head of the household; (2) cannot work because of an injury caused as a direct result of the disaster; (3) could not work or lost work as a result of physical damage or destruction of a business, and; (4) are unable to work because of the physical inaccessibility of the place of employment due to its closure by the federal government.

Individuals in Forrest, Lamar, Lauderdale and Perry counties in Mississippi can apply online 24 hours a day at www.mdes.ms.gov or by calling toll-free, 1-877-633-7275 from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Monday through Friday.