Disaster unemployment assistance is available in four South Carolina counties affected by Hurricane Florence. 

Governor McMaster and S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce Executive Director Cheryl Stanton announced on Monday that residents in Dillon, Horry, Marion, and Marlboro counties are now eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance funds, a press release from Henry McMaster/Office of the Governor says. These funds will be made available through the unemployment insurance benefits system.

Residents in these four counties are eligible for the funds “due to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s decision to amend the federal disaster declaration to include individual assistance eligibility in those counties,” according to the release. The DUA program makes funds available to assist people who “became unemployed as a direct result of Hurricane Florence” and is available to small business owners and the self-employed “who lost personal income due to the disaster.”

If your job has been affected by Hurricane Florence, visit dew.sc.gov and click the MyBenefits Login in the top right corner to apply through the unemployment insurance benefits system, says the release. For help, call 1-866-831-1724. The deadline for applying is October 24, 2018, 30 calendar days from the date that DEW announced the availability of DUA in the counties. 

According to the release, workers or business owners meeting the following criteria may be eligible for benefits:

  • Individuals who are unemployed due to the disaster, and do not qualify for regular unemployment insurance benefits.
  • Self-employed individuals and small business owners who lost income due to the disaster.
  • Individuals who were prevented from working due to an injury caused by the disaster.
  • Individuals who have become the major supplier of household income due to the disaster-related death or injury of the previous major supplier of household income.
  • Individuals who are unable to reach their job or self-employment location because they must travel through the affected area and are prevented from doing so by the disaster.
  • Individuals who were to commence employment or self-employment but were prevented by the disaster.