Disaster Unemployment Assistance Now Available for
Ohioans Impacted by Severe Storms and Tornados
COLUMBUS, OHIO – Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is available to eligible Ohioans following a major disaster declaration by the President on Oct. 2, 2026.
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) is accepting DUA applications from individuals in Clermont, Franklin, Hamilton, Licking, Morgan, Muskingum, and Perry counties whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted due to severe storms and 17 confirmed tornadoes that occurred between Aug. 10 and Aug. 22, 2026.
Individuals have 60 calendar days from the date of this disaster declaration to submit their DUA applications. Applications for DUA must be filed by December 1, 2026.
To be eligible for DUA benefits under Presidential Disaster Declaration FEMA-DR 4945, an individual:
- Must be an unemployed or self-unemployed worker whose unemployment was caused as a direct result of the major disaster declared by the President; and
- Must be a U.S. national or a qualified alien; and
- Must not qualify for regular unemployment insurance benefits from any state; and
- Must have worked or were self-employed in, or were scheduled to begin work or self-employment in, one of the counties listed above; and
- Must establish that the work or self-employment they can no longer perform was their primary source of income.
Also eligible to apply for DUA are individuals who:
- 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; or
- Cannot perform work or self-employment because of an injury caused as a direct result of the disaster; or
- Became the breadwinner or major support of a household because of the death of the head of the household; or
- Cannot work or perform self-employment due to closure of a facility by the federal government.
Individuals will need their Social Security number and the name and address of their last employer or prospective employer to apply for DUA. Within 21 days of applying, applicants must submit proof that they were employed, self-employed, or scheduled to start or return to work at the time the disaster occurred.
Applicants may be asked to submit their most recent federal income tax forms or check stubs. Self-employed individuals should also provide their Schedule SE and Schedule C or Schedule F.
Residents who qualify for DUA in the approved counties may file a claim by calling 1-877-644-6562 toll-free by Dec. 1, 2026. Applications filed after Dec. 1, 2026, will be considered untimely, unless the individual provides good cause for filing after this date. Individuals can generally receive up to 33 weeks of DUA benefits as long as their unemployment continues to be a result of the disaster. Eligibility for DUA benefits will be determined on a week-to-week basis.
Free career and employment services also are available at OhioMeansJobs.com and local OhioMeansJobs Centers. To find contact information for the nearest OhioMeansJobs Center, visit OhioMeansJobs.com and select “FIND A JOB CENTER” at the bottom of the page.
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