Residents in 37 Kentucky counties — including Daviess, Hancock, Henderson, McLean, and Ohio — may now qualify for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) following a federal disaster declaration stemming from severe weather that hit the state beginning April 2.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced Wednesday that the federal government has approved an amendment to expand Individual Assistance and DUA eligibility to 24 additional counties. The initial declaration on April 24 covered 13 counties. The expansion comes after additional requests submitted by Beshear in late April and early May.
DUA eligible individuals include those who were employed or self-employed in the affected areas and lost work or had their work interrupted directly due to the storms, which brought tornadoes, flooding, landslides, and straight-line winds across the state.
According to a release from Beshear’s office, DUA is available to individuals who:
- Worked or were self-employed, or were scheduled to begin work;
- Can no longer work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to their place of employment as a direct result of a disaster, which can also include the physical inaccessibility of the place of employment due to its closure by the federal, state, or local government in immediate response to the disaster;
- Establish that the work or self-employment they can no longer perform was their primary source of income;
- Do not qualify for regular unemployment insurance benefits from any state;
- Cannot work or resume self-employment because of an injury as a direct result of the disaster; or
- As a result of the disaster, became the breadwinner or major supporter of a household because of the death of the head of the household.
In order to qualify for DUA benefits, claimants in eligible counties must show that their employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of the disaster and that they are not otherwise eligible for regular unemployment insurance benefits under state or federal law. Farmers and other self-employed individuals who traditionally are ineligible for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits may qualify for DUA.
Applicants must submit supporting documents — including recent tax returns or check stubs, a utility bill showing their address at the time of the storm, and a photo ID — within 21 days of filing a DUA application.
The benefits are available for up to 29 weeks beginning April 6 through October 25, 2025, as long as unemployment continues to be a direct result of the disaster.
To file a claim, individuals should visit kcc.ky.gov or call 502-564-2900. The deadline to apply is June 23, 2025.
The DUA program is federally funded through FEMA and does not impact employer accounts.
