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South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation
123 W. Missouri Ave.
Pierre, SD 57501
For Immediate Release: Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025
Media Contact: Dawn Dovre, 605-773-3101
Federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance Deadline Extended
PIERRE, S.D. – The Department of Labor and Regulation (DLR) announced today the deadline has been extended to Feb. 28, 2025, for Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal members to apply for federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits.
These benefits are for members left without work due to the severe storms, straight-line winds, and flooding noted in the major disaster declaration (DR-4842-CRS) which occurred July 13-14, 2024. This includes independent contractors, those who are self-employed, and agricultural workers.
Individuals seeking assistance through the DUA program must first file for regular unemployment benefits. As part of the application process, claimants should indicate their employment was impacted by the disaster.
DLR will determine if the claimant is eligible for regular unemployment first, as required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). If the claimant is deemed ineligible for regular unemployment insurance, the applicant will be provided with the DUA application. Eligible participants can collect benefits for the weeks during which they meet the necessary program criteria.
Examples of eligible DUA claims may include:
- The claimant was injured in the disaster and is unable to work, whether they are an employee or self-employed;
- The claimant's workplace was damaged, destroyed, or not in operation as a result of the disaster;
- The claimant's transportation to work is not available as a direct result of the disaster;
- The claimant cannot get to their job because they must travel through an impacted area and are unable to do so as a direct result of the disaster;
- The claimant was about to begin working, but the job no longer exists as a direct result of the disaster; and
- Most of the claimant's income comes from areas affected by the disaster, whether they work for themselves or an employer, and their business is adversely impacted as a direct result of the disaster.
Individuals whose employment has been affected can apply for DUA by calling the Claims Call Center at 605-626-3179, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. CST. Please specify your claim is related to DUA and the storms.
Applicants will need their Social Security number; copies of their most recent federal income tax forms or check stubs; and documentation of employment, self-employment, or prospective work when the disaster occurred. To receive DUA benefits, all required documentation must be submitted within 21 days from the day the DUA application is filed.
Visit dlr.sd.gov/ra for more information about Disaster Unemployment
Assistance and other programs you may qualify for. To learn about all the federal assistance programs you and your family might qualify for, we recommend contacting FEMA’s helpline at 1-800-621-3362.
Reemployment services are available at SDJobs.org.
Claims must be filed by Feb. 28, 2025, to be considered timely. Any claims filed after this date will be considered untimely unless the individual provides good cause for filing after this date. The first possible week of compensation for DUA purposes is the week ending July 20, 2024, and the last possible week of compensation is the week ending May 3, 2025.
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