Sends request to White House
ALBUQUERQUE - The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions Cabinet Secretary Bill McCamley has sent a formal request to President Donald J. Trump to activate the Disaster Unemployment Assistance program that would allow for self-employed New Mexicans to have access to Unemployment Insurance.
The NMDWS Economic Research & Analysis Bureau estimates New Mexico has 62,000 self-employed workers who are not eligible for traditional UI benefits.
“The DUA program will help the thousands of New Mexicans without an income who need help paying their bills until this emergency passes,” McCamley said. “Many workers in New Mexico are independent contractors or business owners who are also in need of benefit assistance. Our department, alongside Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, is working hard to do everything we can to help those affected get through this tough time together.”
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1974 authorizes the President to provide financial assistance to individuals whose employment or self-employment has been lost or interrupted as a direct result of a major disaster and who are not eligible for regular Unemployment Insurance benefits.
NMDWS urges the President to take action expeditiously and allow the U.S. Department of Labor, who oversees the DUA program, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to provide the funds for New Mexico to implement payment of DUA benefits.
For more information: Employers and workers affected by COVID-19 can contact dws.state.nm.us/COVID-19-Info. For the latest announcements and updates, follow NMDWS on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
