West Virginia officials announced disaster unemployment assistance for Pleasants, Ritchie counties

ST. MARYS - Assistance is available for Pleasants and Ritchie County residents who lost employment or self-employment as a result of severe storms and flooding last month.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey and WorkForce West Virginia announced this week that disaster unemployment benefits are available to eligible state residents in those counties.

"Families and businesses in these communities are still dealing with the consequences of the July storms, and for some West Virginians that includes losing their ability to earn a paycheck," Morrisey said in a news release. "Expanding this assistance to Pleasants and Ritchie counties gives more people access to help as they work to recover and get back on their feet."

Disaster unemployment assistance provides temporary federal unemployment benefits to eligible individuals whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of a major disaster and who are not eligible for regular unemployment insurance, the release said. This can include self-employed workers and farmers who typically do not qualify for traditional unemployment benefits.

Eligible individuals in Lewis, Pleasants, Ritchie and Upshur counties must file their claims by Oct. 2. Applicants who are self-employed must provide proof of past earnings, such as business records, bank statements or income tax forms, within 21 days after filing an application.

Disaster unemployment assistance applies to eligible losses resulting from the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, flooding, landslides and mudslides during the July 21-22 incident period. Benefits may continue through the week ending Feb. 6, as long as an individual’s unemployment or loss of self-employment continues as a result of the disaster. Eligibility is determined on a week-to-week basis.

According to the release, individuals may be eligible for disaster unemployment assistance if:

They 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;

They were scheduled to begin employment or self-employment but were prevented from doing so by the disaster;

They became the breadwinner or major support for a household because of the death of the head of household due to the disaster; or

They cannot work or perform services in self-employment because of an injury caused as a direct result of the disaster.

Unemployment may be considered a direct result of the major disaster if it resulted from:

Physical damage or destruction of the place of employment;

Physical inaccessibility of the place of employment because it was closed by federal, state or local government in immediate response to the disaster; or

A lack of work or loss of revenue when, 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, destroyed or closed by federal, state or local government.

West Virginians who lost employment or self-employment as a result of the July 21-22 storms are asked to contact WorkForce West Virginia by emailing ucpolicy@wv.gov or calling 304-558-3340 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.