BRIEF: 5 Georgia counties approved for Disaster Unemployment Assistance after Irma

Sept. 19--Workers in five Georgia counties who lost income due to Hurricane Irma may now be eligible for federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA).

State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler announced Tuesday that Camden, Chatham, Glynn, Liberty and McIntosh counties were approved for the assistance.

"The heavy damage that results from natural disasters often forces businesses to close for repairs, leaving owners and employees without incomes," said Butler in a news release. "These federal unemployment benefits help provide a financial bridge until their incomes resume."

DUA is used to help workers whose primary income is lost, or interrupted, as a direct result of a disaster declared by the President, says the release. Applicants may be eligible for a weekly benefit of as much as $330 beginning the week of September 10.

Individuals in the authorized counties must first apply for regular unemployment insurance on the Georgia Department of Labor website at dol.georgia.gov, or in-person at any GDOL career center no later than Thursday, October 19, 2017.

For more information, visit dol.georgia.gov.

Mariya Lewter: 478-744-4364, @mariyaclewter

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