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| Dear Neighbor,
Early voting in Connecticut for the November 5th election begins on Monday. I have included important details you should be given if you want to participate in the process. Voting is important and your vote counts! The other items in this week's newsletter include:
- Got a Refund Coming?
- Disaster Unemployment Assistance Available
- Southbury Lone Location for In-Person FEMA Assistance
- Reminder: CHET Dream Big! Competition
- Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Have a great weekend,
Travis |
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| Connecticut will participate in early voting for the first time, beginning Monday, October 21-31, and Nov 1-3 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 29th and 31st. Please take a look at the flyers below for more details. Remember, every vote counts! |
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| Of note: The Community Room at City Hall, 125 East Avenue, is the early voting location in Norwalk. |
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| Did you know there's still time to collect your COVID relief money from 2021? If you're a Connecticut resident and have not received your COVID relief money, there's still time, but it's running out quickly. That's why United Way of Connecticut and its trusted partners will help you get the money you're owed. Whether it's COVID relief money or child credits, click HERE to help you get your money. |
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The Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) recently announced that FEMA has authorized the agency 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 self-employed residents, and the surviving spouses of heads of household who died due to the storm.
President Biden approved Connecticut’s major disaster declaration for the FEMA Individual Assistance Program for Fairfield, Litchfield, and New Haven counties, areas that experienced extreme rain and flooding. Governor Lamont announced business recovery centers to help employers apply for federal aid.
The August flooding caused more than 100 Connecticut businesses to shut down during the storm and recovery. CTDOL urges affected workers to carefully read the eligibility guidelines and file for unemployment benefits immediately. Some residents may recall Disaster Unemployment Assistance from Hurricane Ida in 2021. This program requires that workers file for and be denied state unemployment benefits to be eligible for federal benefits. It’s one more step for approval, but disaster benefits cover a broader cohort of workers who aren’t ordinarily eligible for regular unemployment benefits. |
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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
- 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 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 November 19. |
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| If you live in any town in Fairfield County, Litchfield County, or New Haven County, and are seeking to apply for FEMA assistance due to damage from the August 18th storm and flooding, you can visit the Southbury location. Please click on the image below for more details. |
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| Here is an amazing opportunity for students in grades K-12 to enter and win up to $20,000 toward their future education. |
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| To enter, students answer a question through artwork, an essay, or a video. Younger students focus on what they want to do when they grow up, and older students are asked to describe a lesson they’ve learned or a person who has impacted their lives.
The competition is open to all Connecticut K-12 students, and every child has the chance to participate. Please take a moment to visit the website to learn more, and then encourage your child to take part. More than 250 students will receive monetary prizes to be deposited into a CHET account. Please click the image below to learn more and enter! |
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Legislation has the power to save lives.
In Connecticut, employers with 3 or more employees must allow workers experiencing family violence to take up to 12 days off in a calendar year for certain issues resulting from the violence, such as the victim needing to seek medical care or attend a related court hearing.
As of October 1, 2024, the Safe Leave Act now covers victims of sexual assault.
Need to connect to an advocate?
Call, Text, Chat. Email. 24/7
CTSafeConnect.org | (888) 774-2900 |
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| As always, feel free to call me at 1-800-842-8267 or email me at Travis.Simms@cga.ct.gov if you have any questions or concerns. Also, please like my official Facebook Page for regular updates.
Sincerely,
Travis Simms
State Representative |
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