Unemployment assistance available for those affected by Tropical Storm Debby

Harrisburg, Pa. — Pennsylvanians living or working in Lycoming, Potter, Tioga, and Union counties who have been directly impacted by Tropical Storm Debby may now apply for temporary Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA).

Applications must be submitted by Nov. 12.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania received a federal major disaster declaration on Sept. 11, which makes affected Lycoming, Potter, Tioga, and Union County residents eligible for DUA benefits. The incident period for the storm spans Aug. 9–10.

“Disaster Unemployment Assistance is a temporary program for Pennsylvanians who were unable to work due to the damage caused by Tropical Storm Debby,” said Labor & Industry Secretary Walker. “Individuals who meet the eligibility requirements must submit their applications by Nov. 12, 2024. I urge Pennsylvanians who live in, work in, or travel through these four affected counties and whose employment has been directly impacted by the storm to apply for these benefits as soon as possible.”

Eligibility requirements

Pennsylvanians eligible to apply for DUA assistance must live or work in Lycoming, Potter, Tioga, or Union County. All claims will be verified with the affected employer.

DUA benefits are only available for individuals, including those who are self-employed and those who are unemployed, who lost their jobs directly due to the disaster.

Those eligible may also include:

People who are/were unable to reach their job because travel through affected areas was obstructed.Individuals who were to begin employment, but were prevented from doing so by the disaster.People who became the major support for a household because of the death of the head of the household because of the disaster.Individuals who cannot work because of an injury caused as a direct result of the disaster.

Unemployment counts as a “direct result” of the storm if the unemployment resulted from: (1) the physical damage or destruction of the place of employment; (2) 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; or (3) lack of work, or loss of revenues, if, prior to the disaster, the employer or self-employed business received at least a majority of its revenue or income from an entity in the major disaster area that was damaged or destroyed in the disaster or an entity in the major disaster area closed by the federal, state, or local government.

Applying for DUA

File a claim online at www.uc.pa.gov .

Before an individual can be deemed eligible for DUA, L&I must first establish that the individual is not eligible for regular Unemployment Compensation (UC) benefits under any state or federal law. DUA claims filed after the deadline may not be eligible for payment.

The Disaster Unemployment Assistance program is part of the federal disaster assistance process, but is administered by L&I.

Pennsylvanians experiencing job loss due to the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby or otherwise can always contact L&I directly for assistance through the Department's UC helpline (888-313-7284), by email ( UCHelp@pa.gov ) or via live chat .