Unemployment help available

BISMARCK — North Dakotans whose income has been interrupted by the flood disaster can now tap into a new federal aid program, North Dakota Job Service officials said Monday.

The new Disaster Unemployment Assistance program is for people in the 26 counties in the presidential-declared disaster areas and applies to not just wage earners who lost work and income, but also self-employed persons, including farmers, said Job Service Director Maren Daley.

Daley announced the program to legislators and other officials at a meeting Monday morning.

“This is a gap-filler,” she said. “There is no waiting week and it can be back-date” to March 21 in applicable cases. Those eligible may qualify for between $141-$406 per week, depending on their regular income.

Some people who lost only a few days of work may or may not qualify, Daley said, and urged them to call a special state number to find out if they can benefit. Those who wouldn’t qualify would be people who may have lost some time at work but still earned more than their benefit would be.

The number to call is 701-328-1630.

The program is available to individuals who lost income and who:

• worked or were self-employed in or scheduled to begin work or self-employment during the flooding events,

• Can’t work or couldn’t work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to their place of employment as a direct result of the disaster.

• Work for a business that was told to close during an emergency by local or state officials, such as retail stores in the Fargo area, where the mayor asked them to voluntarily close for a few days.

• Can show that their employment or self-employment couldn’t or can’t be performed and was their primary source of income.

• Don’t qualify for unemployment benefits

• Couldn’t or can’t work due to injuries suffered as a direct result of the disaster

• Became the breadwinner or major support of a household because of the death of the head of the household.

The program will be open to applicants until May 13 and may cover lack of income through September if the inability to work lasts that long.

People applying should have their Social Security numbers, their 2008 federal income tax forms, business financial statements, pay stubs or vouchers, tip tickets, crop elevator receipts or credits, bank receipts, statement from their last employer affirming they were working at the time the disaster arose, or a copy of a letter of hire if they were about to begin a job and then could not work. Self-employed individuals also need a copy of their tax return Schedules C, F, SE or K with Form 1040.

The benefits forms can be found on line at www.jobsnd.com, using the “disaster unemployment” link, printed, filled out and then returned by fax or postal mail.

The 26 counties are Adams, Barnes, Billings, Burleigh, Cass, Dickey, Emmons, Foster, Grand Forks, Griggs, Hettinger, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh, Mercer, Morton, Nelson, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele, Stutsman, Towner, Traill, and Williams.

The benefits may fill a gap that some legislators had sought to address with a delayed bill. Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, wanted a new law allowing the governor to waive a usual one-week waiting period that people need to let elapse before they qualify for jobless benefits. The Senate delayed bills committee did not approve the bill.

Tags: job service, news, flood, unemployment, disaster