Federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) program

If you're unemployed because of a major disaster, Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) can help. See if it's available, if you qualify and how to apply.

About DUA

DUA benefits may provide financial help if you:

  • Lose or experience interruptions in employment or self-employment because of the disaster, and
  • Do not qualify for regular unemployment insurance. You need to have applied for unemployment benefits and not qualified before you can apply for DUA.

The U.S. Department of Labor oversees the program in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The program is administered by state unemployment agencies, such as the Employment Security Department.

DUA for December 2025 storms and flooding

From Dec. 5 through 19, 2025, storms and flooding affected Washingtonians in many areas of the state. The federal government has authorized disaster support resources for workers affected by the severe weather.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is now available to eligible workers, including self-employed people. To qualify, you need to have become unemployed due to this disaster and not otherwise qualify for unemployment benefits.

 The deadline to apply for DUA benefits for this disaster is Wednesday, June 10, 2026.

The disaster assistance area

Workers who lost employment because of this disaster and live or work in the following counties may be eligible:

  • Chelan.
  • Grays Harbor.
  • King.
  • Lewis.
  • Pacific.
  • Pierce.
  • Skagit.
  • Snohomish.
  • Thurston.
  •  Whatcom. 

Eligibility includes affected workers from the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, Lummi Nation, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, Nisqually Indian Tribe, Nooksack Indian Tribe, Puyallup Tribe, Quinault Indian Nation, Samish Indian Nation, Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe, Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe, Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, Squaxin Island Tribe, Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Tulalip Tribes, and the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe.

The disaster assistance period

This assistance period begins the week starting Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, and is payable through Sunday, Oct. 10, 2026, if you continue to be unemployed because of the disaster. The maximum payable is 44 weeks.   

How to qualify

To qualify for DUA, you must have had at least 1 week of unemployment after the date of the disaster. You can claim DUA only for weeks when the disaster interrupted your main source of income. You also need to meet these requirements:

Requirement 1: Reason for unemployment

You need to be unemployed for at least 1 of these reasons:

  • Your business or your employer's business closed due to the disaster.
  • You couldn't reach your business or your employer's business due to the disaster.
  • You were scheduled to start a job or work for yourself. Due to the disaster, the work no longer exists or you were unable to reach it.
  • You became the major supporter of a household. The previous head of the household died due to the disaster.
  • You couldn't work at a job or for yourself due to an injury from the disaster.

Requirement 2: Eligibility

You need to meet all these eligibility requirements:

  • You are legally allowed to work in the U.S.
  • You applied for but do not qualify for regular unemployment benefits in any state. You also do not qualify through the Railroad Retirement Board.
  • Your main income came from a job or self-employment affected by the disaster.
  • You applied for DUA within the application period. If you apply late but before the disaster assistance period ends, you need to show that you had a good reason for applying late.

How to apply for DUA if you qualify

1) Complete the application

You can download this fillable application or download and print the application to complete by hand. 

You can request a printed DUA application form, access secure computers and use printers or fax machines at WorkSource locations. To find a center near you, visit Worksourcewa.com. Please note that WorkSource staff cannot complete your application for you.

The DUA application and weekly claims form are available in English and Spanish. Translation services for other languages may be requested through the DUA phone line at 855-952-9988. Agents are available for DUA support Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., except holidays.

2) Gather the required documents

You need to provide proof of employment and proof of income. 

Proof of employment

Provide proof of 1 of these:

  • You were employed during the disaster.
  • You were self-employed during the disaster.
  • You were about to start a job on or after the date of the disaster.

Proof of income

  • Provide proof of your income from the most recently completed tax year. You do not need to provide these documents if you did not work during the most recently completed tax year.
  • Provide these documents from the former head of household if they died in the disaster and you became the main earner for the household:
    • An income tax return.
    • Bank statements.

You need to provide these documents withing 21 days of applying for DUA benefits. If you miss the deadline but provide these documents before the disaster assistance period ends, we will make a new decision about your eligibility and weekly benefit amount. If you receive DUA benefits you are not entitled to, you will need to pay them back. We cannot waive this overpayment.

3) Submit your application

Submit your application by phone, fax, mail or secure upload. 

By phone

To reach the DUA line, please call 855-952-9988. Agents are available for DUA support Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., except holidays. Please note that agents on this phone line are able to help only with DUA applications.

By fax

After you fill out the DUA application form, you may submit it via fax. Send it to 844-395-6712.

By mail

Unemployment Security Department
Disaster Unemployment Assistance Unit
P.O. Box 19019
Olympia, 98507-0019

Via secure upload

Use this secure web form to safely upload your application. 

After you apply for DUA

We will notify you by mail when we approve or deny your DUA application. We will also tell you how much you'll receive each week if you are eligible for DUA. It may take us a few weeks to determine if you are eligible.

Understand your weekly DUA benefits amount

If you worked for an employer, your weekly DUA benefits are based on how much you earn before taxes. If you were self-employed, your weekly DUA benefits are based on how much you earn after taxes.

If you became the main earner for a household because the former head of household died in the disaster, we calculate both what they and you would receive for DUA benefits. You'll receive the larger amount.

We calculate your benefits based on wages you earned and hours you worked during your DUA base year. Your DUA base year is the most recently completed tax year at the time you became unemployed due to the disaster.

If you became unemployed in 2025, your DUA base year will be 2024. If you became unemployed in 2026, your DUA base year will be 2025.

File weekly DUA claims

You need to complete this weekly DUA claim form and submit it by phone, fax, mail or secure upload.

You can request a printed DUA weekly claim form, access secure computers and use printers or fax machines at WorkSource locations. To find a center near you, visit Worksourcewa.com. Please note that WorkSource staff cannot complete your weekly claims for you.

  • We can pay you only for weeks that you claim were unemployed as a direct result of the disaster.
  • File weekly claims even if you are waiting to find out if you qualify.
  • You can submit multiple weeks at the same time but must complete a claim for each week.

Work search information

You need to complete this section if you:

  • Worked for an employer; or
  • Worked in self-employment and are now looking for work with an employer.

Self-employment update information

You need to complete this section if you were self-employed and are making efforts to resume your self-employment. Describe what you are doing to resume your self-employment.

Claims form certification

You need to read the certification, sign and date the form. We cannot accept a form that is not signed.

Submit your weekly DUA claim

You can submit your weekly DUA claim by phone, fax, mail or secure upload. 

By phone

To reach the DUA line, please call 855-952-9988. Agents are available for DUA support Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., except holidays. Please note that agents on this line are able to help only with DUA applications and DUA weekly claims.

By fax

After you fill out the DUA application form, you may submit it via fax. Send it to 844-395-6712.

By mail

Unemployment Security Department
Disaster Unemployment Assistance Unit
P.O. Box 19019
Olympia, 98507-0019

Via secure upload

Use this secure web form to safely upload your application.

Pay taxes on your DUA benefits

You need to pay income tax on DUA benefits. You may choose to have federal withholdings deducted from your DUA payments. You will receive Form 1099-G at the beginning of the next year to file with your taxes.

Being disqualified from DUA

We can stop your DUA benefits if any of these things occur:

  • You are no longer unemployed because of the disaster.
  • You get a job or work for yourself, and you earn more than the weekly benefit amount allowed under state law.
  • You refuse a job offer that we consider suitable, without good cause.
  • You refuse to resume self-employment, without good cause.
  • You refuse a referral to a suitable job or self-employment, without good cause.
  • You are not able and available for work. Exception: You cannot work because of an injury from the disaster.
  • You are not looking for work. Exception: You are trying to continue working in self-employment.
  • You are a seasonal worker and would not normally work during the current season.
  • You lie or knowingly fail to provide information on your DUA application or with your weekly claim.

For employers 

You might be eligible

If you were out of work or had to close your business for any time due to the December 2025 storms, you may be eligible for DUA.

Your employees might be eligible  

If you had employees who lost work due to the flooding and were previously denied unemployment benefits, they might be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA). Please direct them to our website to learn who qualifies and how to apply.  

You might be eligible for relief of benefit charges 

If you have employees who collected unemployment benefits as a direct result of the December 2025 storms, you may qualify for relief of benefit charges. That means unemployment benefits paid to your workers during that time due to the flooding will not affect your unemployment tax rate. 

Relief of benefit charges is available only to taxable employers. Learn more on the benefit charges page. 

If you think you qualify for relief of benefit charges, you need send us a request in writing.   

Please include: 

  • Either your Benefit Charging Notice; your Quarterly Statement of Benefit Charges; or a list of employees full names, claim ID numbers or last four digits of their Social Security numbers. 
  • Explanation of when employees stopped working due to the disaster and when they returned to work. 
  • Your contact information, including an email address and phone number. 

Go to the benefit charges page to learn how to submit this information. 

You might be eligible for a penalty waiver 

Did you file your Q4 2025 unemployment tax and wage report late or pay that quarter’s taxes late as a direct result of the December disaster? You may qualify for a penalty waiver.   

You can request a waiver in four ways. Complete our online form, send an email to UIfiles@esd.wa.gov, fax to 800-794-7657, or mail to: 

Employment Security Department 
UI Tax and Wage Administration 
P.O. Box 9046 
Olympia WA 98507-9046 

Please include: 

  • A subject line that says: Waiver Request. 
  • Your name. 
  • Phone number. 
  • Business name. 
  • Mailing address. 
  • Employment Security number (ES number). 
  • Quarter and year you are requesting a waiver for.  
  • Reason you believe you should not be charged penalties. 
  • Your signature. 

Avoid scams and fraud

Criminals often take advantage of disasters to commit fraud. Learn how to identify, avoid and report scams and fraud.