How to find out if you are eligible for disaster unemployment assistance due to August flooding

If your job was interrupted or you lost it because of flooding in August, you might be eligible for assistance.

Connecticut Department of Labor Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo said more than 100 Connecticut businesses shut down during the storm and recovery

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Now FEMA has authorized the state Department of Labor to launch federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance for residents who were affected because of the flooding on Aug 18 and 19.

The federal program supports workers whose employment was lost or interrupted by a major disaster and who are not eligible for regular state unemployment insurance benefits and it covers workers, some residents who are self-employed, and the surviving spouses of heads of household who died due to the storm, according to the state Department of Labor.

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President Joe Biden approved Connecticut’s major disaster declaration for the FEMA Individual Assistance Program for Fairfield, Litchfield, and New Haven counties and Gov. Ned Lamont announced business recovery centers were available to help employers apply for federal aid.

“CTDOL urges workers who were affected to carefully read the eligibility guidelines and file for unemployment benefits right away. Some residents may recall Disaster Unemployment Assistance from Hurricane Ida in 2021. This program requires that workers file for and be denied state unemployment benefits in order to be eligible for federal benefits. It’s one more step for approval, but disaster benefits cover a broader cohort of workers who aren’t ordinarily eligible for regular unemployment benefits,” Bartolomeo said in a statement.

Eligibility for Disaster Unemployment Assistance includes:

Residents who live, work, or travel to work through impacted areas—Fairfield County, Litchfield County, or New Haven County.
Individuals who were to start work or self-employment but were prevented from doing so due to the flooding.
Workers who experienced unemployment or reduced hours due to:
- Flooding to their place of business;
- Road or other closures;
- Lack of work because the business depends on a non-operational entity within the affected area; or
- Experienced injury caused directly by the storm.
Workers who have proof of employment, documentation of wages, and earnings for the 2023 tax year;
Workers who have documentation of wages or lost earnings directly related to the flooding; or
Individuals who became the major source of financial support for a household due to the death of the head of household.

Claimants must first file for regular state unemployment benefits at www.FileCTUI.com. Once a claimant is found ineligible for state benefits, they must then file for Disaster Unemployment Assistance by calling the Consumer Contact Center.