Federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) program

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.

Please note that it is unlawful to receive DUA benefits and Paid Family and Medical Leave benefits at the same time.

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 available to eligible workers, including self-employed people. To qualify for these benefits, you need to have become unemployed due to this disaster and not otherwise qualify for unemployment benefits.

The disaster assistance period for the 2025 storms and flooding

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

All weekly claims need to be submitted no later than midnight Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026.

File weekly DUA claims

If you applied and are eligible, ydou 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 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