Federal and State aid is available for counties in Missouri which have been hit by natural disasters, such as tornadoes, hurricanes and severe storms. In the last weeks five counties have been declared the site of a major disaster. When the President declares a county as the site of a major disaster a battery of programs and services become available to it.

Programs available to counties hit by natural disasters include unemployment assistance, funds and support to rebuild damaged communities and insurance for injuries sustained while rebuilding. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits available to workers who lose their jobs due to a natural disaster.

Do you have a question about Missouri’s unemployment insurance system? This article provides you answers to the three most frequently asked questions by new applicants for UI payments. If you have just lost your job, read this article carefully and file your application as soon as possible. If you take too long to apply, you could lose some of your benefits.

How Can I Get Help Finding Employment?

Good question. The main purpose of the Tennessee Department of Labor is to get you back to work and there are several programs and organizations you can use to improve your chances of finding work.

If you have successfully filed an unemployment claim you can expect to receive your first payment 18 to 20 days later. Any delay indicates that an investigation has been started by the Division of Employment Security (DES) due to issues concerning your claim.

You will not be notified when they process the claim. Issues concerning your claim may be due to your employer, who will be informed of the claim and who may believe that you do not qualify for some reason. Try not to be to overly concerned it could be that there is only a need for more information for this reason or any other kind of issue you will receive a questionnaire or perhaps a notice so that you can be interviewed by telephone.