BOLTON – United States Representative Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) said the deadline to apply for disaster unemployment assistance is fast approaching. Any individual that suffered income losses from the storms and tornadoes that struck Attala, Choctaw, Holmes, Warren and Yazoo counties on April 23-24, have until Tuesday, June 1 to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance.
On April 24, a tornado nearly a mile wide ripped through central Mississippi killing 10 people, including three children, and injuring dozens of others. Eight days later, extensive storms and massive flooding claimed four more Mississippi victims.
Thompson said Disaster Unemployment Assistance is a federally funded program administered through the Mississippi Department of Employment Security to help workers whose primary income was lost or interrupted as a direct result of the April storms. The program can even cover those who don’t normally qualify for unemployment insurance benefits, such as farmers and the self-employed.
Applications can be submitted at www.mdes.ms.gov or by calling toll-free 888-844-3577 Monday through Friday.
Individuals can apply if they fall into one or more of the following categories:
- You became unemployed as a direct result of the April tornadoes, storms and flooding.
- You cannot reach your place of employment because of disaster-related travel disruptions.
- You must support a household because the head of the household died in the tornadoes and storms.
- You are unable to work due to a disaster-related injury.
- You could not work because your place of employment was damaged or destroyed by the storms.
For more information, contact the State Emergency Joint Information Center at 866-920-MEMA (6362), or visit us online at www.msema.org.
Be the first to comment