Editor’s Note: The following message is from the Texas Association of Campground Owners (TACO) and provides an update on the association’s efforts to support parks after devastating flooding occurred in early July.
TACO has more information for those parks and people affected by the recent floods. Click here for a number of resources for parks and individuals, including ways to apply for assistance, disaster recovery centers and more.
For those people and/or employees who will be seeking unemployment, you can now reach out to the Texas Workforce Commission. Individuals affected by flooding in the designated area can apply for benefits online through Unemployment Benefit Services or by calling TWC at 800-939-6631 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Applications for DUA benefits under this declaration must be submitted by Sept. 4.
Individuals should specify that their applications are related to the damage caused by flooding in the Hill Country.
Additional counties affected by Hill Country flooding may be added to President Trump’s disaster declaration. Officials continue to review disaster damage information self-reported by Texans through the Texas Division of Emergency Management’s Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT) damage survey.
When it is safe to do so, impacted Texans are encouraged to submit information about damage to homes or businesses by visiting damage.tdem.texas.gov. These details are vital to help officials identify impacted areas and connect Texans with resources.
DUA, which is an unemployment insurance benefit made available especially for victims of disaster, is available to individuals who:
- Have applied for and used all regular unemployment benefits, or do not qualify for unemployment benefits;
- Worked or were self-employed or were scheduled to begin work or self-employment in the disaster area;
- Can no longer work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to the place of employment as a direct result of the disaster;
- Establish that the work or self-employment they can no longer perform was their primary source of income;
- Cannot perform work or self-employment because of an injury as a direct result of the disaster;
- Became the breadwinner or major support of a household because of the death of the head of household; or
- Were unable to reach their job or self-employment location because they must travel through the affected area and are prevented from doing so by the disaster.
To receive DUA benefits, all required documentation must be submitted within 21 days from the day the DUA application is filed. Required documentation includes a Social Security number and documentation to support that you were working or self-employed when the disaster occurred, or were about to start work, or self-employment and could not do so due to the disaster.
TWC must have documents that prove you were working or scheduled to start working at the time of the disaster. If you do not send proof of employment by the 21-day deadline, TWC will halt DUA payments, and you will be responsible for repaying any benefits you received.
In some cases, TWC can use information in their system, such as wage records, to prove you were employed at the time of the disaster.
Submit your proof of employment using TWC’s online UI Submission Portal for the fastest review. Select DUA Proof of Employment at Time of Disaster from the Type of Submission drop-down menu.
If you cannot use the online portal, you can submit the proof by fax or mail. Texas Workforce Commission Attn: DUA Proof P.O. Box 149137 Austin, Texas, 78714-9137.
Of course, TACO still has the Disaster Relief Fund taking donations. We’ve exceeded our second goal of $20,000 and will be upping the goal yet again. Thank you again for the tremendous support of the industry.
If you are a campground that is in need and would like to be considered as a recipient for the TACO Relief Fund, click here to download the application now. Those can be emailed to Texas Campgrounds’ CEO/Executive Director Brian Schaeffer at [email protected].
Additionally, there is information on the password-protected side of www.TACOMembers.com when it comes to navigating FEMA, preparing for the next disaster and more.
Thank you again to everyone who reached out or made a donation!
The post TACO Provides Info on Resources, Gives Update on Flooding first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.