Filing Period for DUA Benefits For Disaster Unemployment Assistance in 8 Counties Ends August 13

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK –  In accordance with federal regulations, the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) has announced that the filing period for Disaster Unemployment Assistance under Disaster Declaration FEMA-4791-DR for individuals affected by the severe storms and tornadoes that occurred in Blaine, Caddo, Custer, Delaware, Jackson, Mayes, Muskogee, and Rogers Counties from May 19, 2024 to May 28, 2024 ends on August 13, 2024.

DUA is available to those who:

• Worked or were self-employed or were scheduled to begin work or self-employment;
• Can no longer work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to the place of employment as a direct result of a disaster, which can also include the physical inaccessibility of the place of employment due to its closure by the federal, state, or local government in immediate response to the disaster;
• Establish that the work or self-employment they can no longer perform was their primary source of income;
• Do not qualify for regular unemployment insurance benefits from any state;
• Cannot work or resume self-employment because of an injury as a direct result of the disaster; or
• Became the breadwinner or major support of a household because of the death of the head of the household.

Applications filed after August 13, 2024, will be considered untimely unless the individual provides good cause for filing after the deadline.

Individuals will need their Social Security number, a copy of 2023 Federal income tax forms or check stubs, or documentation to support that they were working or self-employed when the disaster occurred. Individuals must submit all required documentation within 21 days of filing the DUA application to receive DUA benefits. OESC will work with claimants experiencing difficulties locating tax returns or pay stubs due to property losses.

All individuals must file an unemployment insurance claim at https://oklahoma.gov/oesc/individuals. For more information or questions, individuals can call the Unemployment Service Center at 405-525-1500 or visit one of OESC’s field offices. A list and map of all field offices can be found at https://oklahoma.gov/oesc/locations. Additionally, impacted individuals may visit OESC’s website or any field office for reemployment services.