The disaster must directly affect the work
Indiana announced October 1 that disaster unemployment assistance is available in Cass, Pike and Putnam counties. The state sets November 30, 2026 as the application deadline for those additions. The 21 previously announced counties retain an October 27 deadline.
The route concerns employed or self-employed people whose work was lost or interrupted by severe weather between August 11 and August 24. Eligibility requires a direct disaster connection, qualifying status, lack of regular unemployment eligibility and other conditions. It is not general assistance for every unemployed resident.
County deadlines are not interchangeable
Applicants must have worked, been self-employed or been scheduled to start qualifying work in a listed county, and establish that the affected work was their primary income source. The state lists workplace destruction, disaster-related injury and other specified circumstances. A nearby county address alone is not enough.
Benefits are determined week by week. Applications after November 30 need good cause for lateness under the announcement. Preserve work, income and disaster records and use the state instructions; the added counties do not imply a fixed check amount or automatic approval.