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DES MOINES, IOWA - Iowans living or working in any of the 11 Iowa counties recently declared disaster areas may be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits under the federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance program. The federal government declared the counties of Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Ida, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, Shelby, Taylor and Union as weather-related disaster areas on May 25, 2007.

“If you live or work in one of those 11 counties and have lost your job due to the recent bad weather, you should apply for these federal benefits,” said David Neil, Interim Director, Iowa Workforce Development.

Claims need to be filed by June 30, 2007, according to Neil. The benefits cover self-employed workers not usually entitled to unemployment insurance, including Iowa farmers. People applying for DUA need to provide proof of past earnings, such as business records or bank statements and their most recent income tax form, at the time they file their claim. Any Iowa Workforce Development Center can accept DUA claims, including the following offices located in the affected counties: