Oregon says it’s ready to begin paying a special class of unemployment benefits to workers who have lost their jobs or had their hours substantially reduced by the wildfires that erupted across the state this month.
Disaster Unemployment Assistance benefits are available only to wildfire victims who don’t qualify for other classes of jobless benefits, including unemployment insurance and new programs Congress established in March to offset the impacts of the pandemic. The Oregon Employment Department indicated this week that is probably a small number of people.
Those who may qualify include people who were unable to reach their jobs because of the wildfires, self-employed workers whose jobs were disrupted by the wildfires and wildfire victims who have exhausted all their other benefits.
Oregon counties approved for the program are Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn and Marion.
The employment department is accepting applications online. To qualify, workers must document their eligibility.
While Oregon’s regular phone lines for accepting jobless claims have been largely overwhelmed and unavailable during the pandemic, the employment department set up a separate phone number for wildfire claims and questions: 503-570-5000.
-- Mike Rogoway | twitter: @rogoway |