Residents have until November 30 to apply for unemployment
By The Star Staff
Residents in the 78 municipalities affected by Hurricane Fiona will have until November 30 to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA), Labor and Human Resources (DTRH) Secretary Gabriel Maldonado-González said Monday.
All claims can be filed retroactively from the date of the disaster.
“Last September, the President of the United States, Joe Biden, issued a major disaster declaration due to Fiona. After that, workers who do not qualify for regular Unemployment Insurance may be eligible for DUA benefits, including both employees and those who are self-employed. However, it is important to emphasize that this aid can only be requested until November 30, as established by the federal government. For this reason, we urge those who understand that they qualify and have not applied to access our portal and complete the required information. This financial aid, which fluctuates between a minimum of $99 and a maximum of $240 per week for up to 27 weeks, will be a great incentive for people unable to work after the atmospheric phenomenon,” said Maldonado-González.
The first step is to apply for regular Unemployment Insurance through the website https://trabajo.pr.gov/. Applicants must select the “Impact of Hurricane Fiona” option as the reason for job separation. Suppose the system determines that you do not qualify for regular benefits. In that case, DTRH staff will review your application to determine if you are eligible for DUA benefits. To validate your eligibility, the officials said that you must submit your filed return, form W-2, and 480 corresponding to the 2021 tax period through the document submission link on the agency’s portal.
As part of the requirements, officials said employees and self-employed workers who lost their jobs or had their jobs interrupted directly due to the disaster must be individuals impacted by the disaster.
Others who qualify are:
* Individuals who were going to start working but were unable to do so because of the disaster.
* Workers who became the main breadwinner of a household because of the hurricane.
* Citizens who could not work due to an injury caused by the disaster.