About assistance for flood victims
The Connecticut Department of Labor is one of the local, state, and federal agencies assisting businesses and workers impacted by recent floods.
For Workers & Employers
Workers who have lost employment or have had their hours reduced due to flooding are encouraged to apply for unemployment compensation.
FEMA has authorized the CT Department of Labor to launch federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) for those residents who experienced job interruption or loss due to the August 2024 flooding. Disaster Unemployment Assistance is a federal program that supports workers whose employment was lost or interrupted by a major disaster and who are not eligible for regular state unemployment insurance benefits. DUA covers workers, some residents who are self-employed, and the surviving spouses of heads of household who died due to the storm.
Eligibility for Disaster Unemployment Assistance includes:
- Residents who live, work, or travel to work through impacted areas—Fairfield County, Litchfield County, or New Haven County.
- Individuals who were to start work or self-employment but were prevented from doing so due to the flooding.
- Workers who experienced unemployment or reduced hours due to:
- Flooding to their place of business;
- Road or other closures;
- Lack of work because the business depends on a non-operational entity within the affected area; or
- Experienced injury caused directly by the storm.
- Workers who have proof of employment, documentation of wages, and earnings for the 2023 tax year;
- Workers who have documentation of wages or lost earnings directly related to the flooding; or
- Individuals who became the major source of financial support for a household due to the death of the head of household.
Claimants must first file for regular state unemployment benefits at www.FileCTUI.com. Once a claimant is found ineligible for state benefits, they must then file for Disaster Unemployment Assistance by calling the Consumer Contact Center.
Under federal law, the filing deadline for Connecticut Disaster Unemployment Assistance is December 9, 2024.
The CTDOL Consumer Contact Center is open Monday – Friday: 7:30 AM – 4:30 PM. Residents may call (203) 941-6868; (860) 967-0493; (800) 842-9710; or TTY – 711.
Search for jobs in your area by visiting our state job bank, CTHires. To be notified of upcoming recruitment events and job fairs in your area, sign up for our distribution list. Please contact our American Job Centers to take advantage of various services, such as job search, resume assistance, virtual workshops, training opportunities, Labor Market and Career Information, and referrals to other supportive services. To request an appointment, virtually or in person, with an American Job Center Representative, please complete the inquiry form here, and a representative will contact you. You may also visit your nearest American Job Centers for assistance during office hours.
Connecticut’s Rapid Response Team assists workers and businesses affected by large layoffs and closings. The Team offers weekly layoff transition support webinars, which provide detailed information on unemployment, job search assistance, training funds, health insurance options, and other supportive services. To learn more about services provided by the Rapid Response Team and to register for an upcoming webinar, visit the Rapid Response page.
Additional Resources for Individuals and Businesses who have incurred damages from the floods
Mortgage Crisis Job Training Program
Flood Resource Guide
Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS)
Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC),
CT State Funding for Flood Recovery
Department of Agriculture - Disaster Relief Resources
Department of Insurance
Department of Economic Development and Community Development
Town of Oxford - Resources
Town of Southbury - Resources
The Connecticut Department of Labor (DOL) is not responsible for the contents of pages referenced through links on this page. The responsibility for content rests with the organizations that are providing the information. DOL is providing these websites as a courtesy to its customers and does not specifically endorse these services or products. DOL is not responsible for the accessibility to persons with disabilities of any off-site pages referenced through links.