The South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation is offering assistance to tribal members. The funds are being distributed to members who are now unemployed due to the severe weather damage in May.
Disaster Unemployment Assistance or DUA is now available for the Oglala Sioux Tribe in Pine Ridge. Funds are for anyone who can no longer work or their workplace was severely damaged due to the May storms. Pauline Heier is the South Dakota Director of Unemployment Insurance.
“This program, this federal program has been around for um, many years. I guess I don’t know the, I wanna say since 1974. We’ve had several disaster unemployment programs offered for the course of several years and our process that we have, you know, have worked really well in the past,” says Heier.
Claims must have all the required documents and be filed by September 16th. Heier says those who wish to apply for benefits should call the Unemployment Insurance Call Center.