Disaster unemployment assistance available in 29 Tennessee counties
PRESS RELEASE FROM TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) announced Wednesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has made Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) available for 29 Tennessee counties. These counties were impacted by the Tennessee Severe Winter Storms as declared in the Federal Disaster Declaration FEMA DR-4898.
TDLWD is accepting applications for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) from individuals whose employment or self-employment was impacted by the Tennessee Severe Winter Storms beginning on January 22, 2026, in Benton, Carroll, Cheatham, Chester, Clay, Davidson, Decatur, Dickson, Dyer, Fayette, Hardeman, Hardin, Henderson, Hickman, Lewis, Macon, Madison, Maury, McNairy, Montgomery, Perry, Robertson, Rutherford, Shelby, Sumner, Trousdale, Wayne, Williamson, and Wilson counties.
The disaster period starts on January 25, 2026, and ends on August 8, 2026.
Applications from individuals who live in, work in, or travel through these counties must be submitted by June 9, 2026. They may start filing those applications on April 23, 2026.
The TDLWD website can provide more detailed information about Disaster Unemployment Insurance.
The following counties are included in the disaster declaration and amendments:
- Benton County
- Carroll County
- Cheathem County
- Chester County
- Clay County
- Davidson County
- Decatur County
- Dickson County
- Dyer County
- Fayette County
- Hardeman County
- Hardin County
- Henderson County
- Hickman County
- Lewis County
- Macon County
- Madison County
- Maury County
- McNairy County
- Montgomery County
- Perry County
- Robertson County
- Rutherford County
- Shelby County
- Sumner County
- Trousdale County
- Wayne County
- Williamson County
- Wilson County
DUA, which is an unemployment insurance benefit made available after a disaster, is only available to individuals who:
- Have applied for and used all regular unemployment benefits from any state, or do not qualify for unemployment benefits.
- Worked, or were self-employed, or 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.
Individuals can apply for DUA at Jobs4TN.gov or by calling 1-877-813-0950 Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CDT. When filing online, applicants should specify that they were impacted by a 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, a copy of the most recent federal income tax form or paycheck stubs, and documentation to support that you were working or self-employed when the disaster occurred.
Applicants must mail or fax all required documentation within 21 days of the date of the DUA application. Documents can be mailed to 220 French Landing, Nashville, TN 37243, or sent by fax to 615-253-7584.
Job seekers may visit local American Job Centers for access to job-search resources, job postings, and training programs, as well as assistance with exploring career options, résumé and application preparation, career development, and more. Job seekers can also connect with potential employers by searching for thousands of open positions on Jobs4TN.gov.
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