Deadline extended: Disaster unemployment assistance in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

In recent months, tens of thousands of people in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have found themselves unemployed or unable to get to work due to Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma. 

There is jobless aid available to people who are unemployed due to natural disasters. NELP created this fact sheet to help unemployed workers in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands understand the benefits available through Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA), as well as how to access the program. A Spanish version of the fact sheet is available here. 

Though damage from the hurricanes kept unemployment offices closed for weeks after the storms made landfall in Puerto Rico, thousands of workers have applied for benefits since offices reopened in October.

Workers in Puerto Rico now have until January 11, 2018 to apply for DUAdue to both Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, while workers in the U.S.V.I. have until December 29 to apply for DUA due to Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria. 

Previous fact sheets provide information specific to workers impacted by Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the California wildfires. 

Please share this information with anyone you know who is affected by the hurricanes in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands or another disaster, or who is working in impacted communities. 

In unity,

National Employment Law Project