Affected parishes eligible for disaster unemployment assistance

President Barack Obama officially granted a major disaster declaration request for 12 Louisiana parishes, making disaster unemployment assistance available to businesses and residents whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a result of flooding that began Aug. 11 and continues.
The president acted upon a request by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards.
The Louisiana Workforce Commission is accepting applications for disaster unemployment assistance from residents and businesses in designated-disaster areas until Sept. 15.
Disaster unemployment assistance areas is available to those who:
Worked or were self-employed or were scheduled to begin work or self-employment;
Can no longer work or perform services because of physical damage of 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 principal source of income;
Do not qualify for regular unemployment benefits from any state;
Cannot perform work or self-employment because of an injury as a direct result of the disaster or
Became the breadwinner or major support of a household because of the death of the head of household.
Applications filed after the deadline will be considered untimely and benefits may be denied unless the individual provides good cause. Applicants must submit their Social Security number, check stubs and documentation to support the claim that they were working or self-employed when the disaster occurred. In some cases, additional documentation may be required. To receive benefits, all required documentation must be submitted within 21 days from the date the application is filed.
Assistance is available from weeks of unemployment beginning Aug. 14 and up to Feb. 18, 2017, as long as the individual’s unemployment continues to be a result of the disaster.
To file for disaster unemployment assistance areas, applicants should apply online by visiting www.laworks.net and filing an application through the LWC’s HiRE (Helping Individuals Reach Employment) portal or by calling the Benefits Analysis Team at 1-866-783-5567 Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Due to high call volume at this time, applicants are encouraged to try the online method first. Additional information is available at www.laworks.net.