LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Employment Development Department announced that workers, business owners and self-employed individuals who lost their jobs or had their work hours substantially reduced as a result of the Carr fire in Shasta County or the Mendocino Complex fire in Lake County now have until Oct. 12 to file for Disaster Unemployment Assistance benefits.

The previous deadline to file for Disaster Unemployment Assistance, or DUA, benefits was Sept. 10 for the Carr fire and Sept. 21 for the Mendocino Complex fire.

President Trump’s amended federal disaster declarations on Aug. 4 and Aug. 17 provide DUA benefits for people who were affected by the fires in Shasta and Lake counties.

DUA provides temporary unemployment benefits to people whose jobs or work hour losses are a direct result of a disaster and who do not qualify for regular state unemployment insurance benefits, such as business owners or self-employed individuals.

Affected individuals are encouraged to apply for DUA through the EDD, which will first check to see if applicants can qualify for state unemployment benefits, and if not, process the claim for federal disaster unemployment benefits.

DUA applies to losses beginning the week of July 29.

Individuals can receive up to $450 a week for a maximum of 27 weeks. These unemployment insurance benefits are offered to victims of a disaster and available to individuals who meet any of the following criteria:

– Worked or were self-employed, or were scheduled to begin work or self-employment, in the disaster area.
– Cannot reach work because of the disaster or can no longer work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to the place of employment as a direct result of the disaster.
– Can establish that the work or self-employment they can no longer perform was their primary source of income.
– Cannot perform work or self-employment because of an injury as a direct result of the disaster.
– Became the head of their households because of a death caused by the disaster.
– Have applied for and used all regular unemployment benefits from any state, or do not qualify for regular unemployment benefits and remain unemployed as a direct result of the disasters.

To receive DUA benefits, all required documentation must be submitted within 21 days from the day the DUA application is filed.

Required documentation includes a Social Security number and a copy of the most recent federal income tax form or check stubs, or documentation to support that the individuals were working or self-employed when the disaster occurred. Documentation for the self-employed can be obtained from banks or government entities, or affidavits from individuals having knowledge of their business.

The fastest and easiest way for new claimants to apply for DUA is to use EDD’s UI Online application, which is available in both English and Spanish.

Claimants can also apply for DUA by phone between 8 a.m. and 12 noon, Monday through Friday:

English: 1-800-300-5616
Spanish: 1-800-326-8937
Chinese (Cantonese): 1-800-547-3506
Chinese (Mandarin): 1-866-303-0706
Vietnamese: 1-800-547-2058
TTY: 1-800-815-9387

EDD’s Disaster-Related Services Web page includes more information for individuals and businesses impacted by disasters, including tax filing extensions for affected employers. EDD also encourages individuals to visit the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services wildfire recovery Web site for information on Local Assistance Centers where individuals, families and businesses can access disaster assistance programs and services.