The Staten Island Board of Realtors (SIBOR) is passing along the following important information to victims of the recent hurricane, including those on Staten Island. Please share:

If you live or work in Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster or Westchester counties and you lost your income due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy, you may qualify for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA).

You may qualify for DUA even if you would not normally be able to get unemployment insurance benefits.

To find out if you might be eligible for DUA: Call the Telephone Claims Center (TCC) at 1-888-209-8124, or 1-877-358-5306 if you live out of state. Answer the questions to indicate that you lost your job as a direct result of Hurricane Sandy.

File your application with the New York State Department of Labor as soon as possible.  The application deadline is Feb. 4, 2013.

The following are examples of situations that may make you eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance:

  • You were injured in the disaster and are unable to work, whether you are an employee or self-employed.
  • Your workplace was damaged, destroyed, or you can’t work because of the disaster.
  • Your transportation to work is not available because of the disaster.
  • You cannot get to your job because you must travel through the affected area, and you cannot do that because of the disaster.
  • You were about to begin working, but could not because of the disaster.
  • You got most of your income from areas affected by the disaster, whether you worked for yourself or for an employer, and your business is down because of the disaster.

Please note – this list is not exhaustive.  If you are uncertain about your eligibility, please apply. All applicants must submit wage information and documentation to support their application.

About The Staten Island Board of REALTORS® (SIBOR)

The Staten Island Board of REALTORS® (SIBOR) is the largest not-for-profit trade association in Staten Island, N.Y.

SIBOR exists to enhance the ability and opportunity of its members to conduct their business successfully and ethically; and to promote the preservation of the public’s right to own, transfer and use real property.

Comprised of over 1,600 members, SIBOR serves real estate agents, brokers and affiliated professionals throughout the borough and surrounding areas.

SIBOR is the provider of the Staten Island Multiple Listing Service Inc. (SIMLS), which works as a clearinghouse through which more than 250 local real estate firms exchange information on properties they have listed for sale. Together, its members participate in over 3,000 real estate transactions every year.

All SIBOR members belong to the New York State Association of REALTORS® (NYSAR) and the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).

SIBOR may be reached at 718-928-3220 and viewed online at http://siborrealtors.com. SIBOR may also be visited on Facebook at “Staten Island Living,” on Twitter via @SIBOR, and on YouTube at the Staten Island Board of Realtors and RelevantPR channels.

Media Contact: Barton Horowitz

Relevant Public Relations, LLC

Headquarters: 718‑682‑1509

Mobile: 917‑715‑8761

Email: Bhorowitz@RelevantPR.com