INDIANAPOLIS (WOWO) — Hoosiers who lost work or had their employment disrupted by severe weather earlier this month may now be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance. Governor Mike Braun announced Friday that the assistance is available to eligible workers and self-employed people in the 21 Indiana counties included in the federal major disaster declaration approved Aug. 25. The assistance is intended for people whose employment was directly affected by the storms beginning Aug. 11. Eligible counties include Wayne County, along with Carroll, Dearborn, Decatur, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Henry, Lake, LaPorte, Madison, Marion, Morgan, Porter, Pulaski, Randolph, Rush, Tipton and Union counties. To qualify, applicants must meet federal requirements, including being unemployed or unable to work as a direct result of the disaster. They must also be unable to qualify for regular unemployment benefits and show that the affected employment was their primary source of income. Workers may qualify if their workplace was damaged or destroyed, they were unable to work because of a disaster-related injury, they became the primary household support after the death of a household head, or their workplace was closed by the federal government because of the disaster. How to apply People who believe they may qualify must first file a regular unemployment insurance claim through Indiana’s Uplink system. If they are denied regular unemployment benefits, they can then apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance. Applicants should have their Social Security number, the name and address of their most recent or scheduled employer, and recent tax forms or pay stubs showing their employment and earnings. Applications for Disaster Unemployment Assistance must be filed by Oct. 27, 2026, unless an applicant can show good cause for filing late. Those without access to a computer or mobile device can use unemployment insurance kiosks at WorkOne locations. WorkOne centers can also help people affected by the storms with job searches, resume assistance, career counseling, short-term training and connections with employers. More information about Disaster Unemployment Assistance is available through the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. The agency’s Customer Support Center can be reached at 1-800-891-6499 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday. State employees may also qualify for paid leave Separately, Gov. Mike Braun has signed an executive order providing special paid leave for eligible state employees whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged by the storms. Qualifying employees can receive up to 15 paid workdays to address housing needs. The leave is retroactive to Aug. 11 and must be used by Sept. 19. Employees may qualify if they live in a county eligible for state or federal disaster relief and their primary residence was destroyed or severely damaged. Damage must be certified by an authorized Indiana Department of Homeland Security employee. Employees whose homes are experiencing prolonged storm-related power outages may also qualify if the outage is certified. The paid leave is separate from Disaster Unemployment Assistance, which is available to eligible workers who lost employment or had their work interrupted because of the storms. The post New storm assistance available for Indiana workers affected by severe weather appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less