Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)

Julie M. Whittaker
Specialist in Income Security

Alison M. Shelton
Analyst in Income Security

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits are available only to those individuals who have become unemployed as a direct result of a declared major disaster. First created in 1970 through P.L. 91-606, DUA benefits are authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Relief Act (the Stafford Act), which authorizes the President to issue a major disaster declaration after state and local government resources have been overwhelmed by a natural catastrophe or, "regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or explosion in any part of the United States" (42 U.S.C. 5122(2)). 

The DUA program provides income support to individuals who become unemployed as a direct result of a major disaster and who are not eligible for regular Unemployment Compensation (UC) benefits. DUA is funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and is administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) through each state's UC agency. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5, ARRA, or "the 2009 stimulus package") contained one provision affecting unemployment DUA benefits. ARRA temporarily increased unemployment benefits by $25 per week for all recipients of regular UC, Extended Benefits (EB), Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08), Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) programs, and DUA. DUA beneficiaries are not eligible to receive EUC08 benefits. 

The Deepwater oil spill has not been declared a major disaster under the Stafford Act; thus, workers who have lost their jobs on account of the spill are not eligible for DUA. 

This report contains information on how to ascertain if an individual is eligible for DUA benefits.


Date of Report: July 29, 2010
Number of Pages: 9
Order Number: RS22022
Price: $29.95

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