Has anyone successfully received DUA payments from Florida DEO after Hurricane Milton?
My sister's neighborhood got hit pretty bad by Hurricane Milton and she lost her job when the restaurant she worked at got destroyed. Someone told her about Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) being available, but she's never applied for any kind of unemployment before. Has anyone here actually received DUA payments from Florida DEO recently? Is the process different from regular unemployment? She tried calling but of course can't get through to anyone. Any info would be super helpful - especially how long it might take to get approved and start receiving benefits.
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Lincoln Ramiro
I received DUA after Hurricane Helene in September. The process is similar to regular unemployment but with some important differences. You apply through CONNECT just like regular unemployment, but make sure she selects "Disaster Unemployment Assistance" rather than "Reemployment Assistance" when filing. She'll need to provide proof that her job was directly affected by the hurricane (a letter from employer, photos, etc). The big difference is she doesn't need to complete the usual work search requirements while on DUA. She WILL need to complete a separate DUA application after the initial claim - they should email her with instructions. It took about 3 weeks for my application to be processed and another week to get my first payment. Make sure she keeps claiming her weeks even while waiting for approval!
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Henrietta Beasley
•Thank you so much for this info! I'll pass it along to her. Do you know if she needs to have worked a certain amount of time to qualify? With regular unemployment I know you need to have worked a certain number of quarters or something.
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Faith Kingston
i tried to get dua last year and they denied me said i didnt have proof the hurricane was why i lost my job but my job was literally under 5 feet of water!! their system is so rigged make sure ur sister takes TONS of pics of everything
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Emma Johnson
•This happened to me too with Ian!!! They are absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to deal with. I submitted like 20 photos and they still denied me saying I "failed to establish a disaster-related unemployment claim." When I finally got someone on the phone (after 4 HOURS on hold), they said I needed a letter from my employer specifically stating the closure was due to the hurricane. So frustrating!
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Liam Brown
DUA has different eligibility requirements than regular unemployment. The key points your sister should know: 1. She doesn't need to meet the regular work and wage requirements for unemployment 2. Self-employed people can qualify for DUA (unlike regular unemployment) 3. She must prove she was working or scheduled to begin work in the disaster area 4. Her unemployment must be a direct result of the disaster (job destruction counts) 5. She must NOT qualify for regular unemployment benefits The application deadline is typically 30 days after DUA is announced for that specific disaster, so she should apply ASAP. For Hurricane Milton, I believe the deadline is in mid-November. Also important: DUA is only available for up to 26 weeks after the disaster declaration. The weekly benefit amount is the same as regular unemployment - maximum of $375 in Florida.
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Henrietta Beasley
•Thanks for explaining that! I didn't realize DUA was only for people who DON'T qualify for regular unemployment. Her restaurant was completely destroyed, so I think that should count as direct result of the disaster. I'll tell her to apply right away.
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Olivia Garcia
my cousin just got dua last week after milton hit. took like 2 weeks i think? he said the important thing was getting his boss to write a letter saying the business was closed becuz of storm damage. good luck!!
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Noah Lee
I tried applying for DUA after Milton and got stuck in the identity verification loop on CONNECT. Then when I finally got through that, it put me in the "pending adjudication" status for weeks. Has anyone actually managed to talk to a REAL PERSON at DEO about their DUA claim? I've called literally 40+ times and either get disconnected or told the wait time is 4+ hours.
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Ava Hernandez
•I was in the same boat trying to reach someone about my DUA claim. After trying for days with the regular DEO number, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent within about 20 minutes. Totally worth it to avoid the busy signals and disconnects. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj The DEO agent I spoke with was able to clear my adjudication hold and told me exactly what additional documentation I needed to submit. My DUA payments started processing the next day after being stuck for weeks.
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Lincoln Ramiro
To answer your question about work history - the nice thing about DUA is there's no minimum work requirement like with regular unemployment. She doesn't need to have worked for any specific length of time. As long as she can prove she was employed at the time of the disaster and lost her job as a direct result, she should qualify. Make sure she has these documents ready: - Photo ID - Social Security card - Recent pay stubs if available - Letter from employer stating closure due to hurricane - Any photos of damage to the workplace The FEMA declaration number for Hurricane Milton is also required on the application. It's FEMA-4794-DR if she needs it.
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Henrietta Beasley
•This is so helpful! I'll make sure she has all these documents ready. Do you happen to know if payments are retroactive to when the disaster happened, or only from when you apply?
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Emma Johnson
Can someone PLEASE tell me why the DEO website says DUA is available for Hurricane Milton but when I call they say I don't qualify because I'm eligible for regular unemployment?? I thought they were separate programs! I lost 3 weeks of work because our business had no power and flooding, but since the building wasn't completely destroyed they're saying I need to apply for regular unemployment instead. This system is DESIGNED to deny people help!
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Liam Brown
•This is actually correct, though frustrating. DUA is specifically for people who DON'T qualify for regular unemployment benefits. If you qualify for regular RA benefits, you must apply for those instead of DUA, even if your unemployment is disaster-related. However, there's a special situation: If your regular unemployment benefits are less than what you would receive under DUA, you may be eligible for the difference. For example, if your regular UI benefit is $200/week but your DUA calculation would be $300/week, you might receive the $200 regular benefit plus a $100 supplemental DUA payment. You should apply for regular unemployment and indicate the disaster as the reason for job loss. This at least documents your situation properly.
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Isabella Martin
wait can you get dua if your job was only closed for like a week after milton? my work had to close for cleanup but then reopened
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Lincoln Ramiro
•Generally, no. DUA is for people who lost their job or self-employment income for a longer period as a direct result of the disaster. If your workplace reopened and you're back to work, you wouldn't qualify for ongoing DUA benefits. However, you might qualify for Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP) food assistance if your income was affected, even temporarily. Also, if you had expenses related to the hurricane (evacuation costs, home repairs, etc.), you might qualify for FEMA Individual Assistance, which is separate from unemployment programs.
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Henrietta Beasley
Thank you all for the advice! I passed everything along to my sister. She's applying today and her boss already wrote her a letter confirming the restaurant was destroyed by Milton. Fingers crossed she gets approved without all the problems some of you mentioned. I'll update once she hears anything.
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