Filing deadline nears for Pine Ridge disaster jobless aid

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) – People who lost jobs or became unable to do business because of severe storms, straight-line winds and flooding that hit the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in May have until Wednesday to file for disaster unemployment assistance.

The state Department of Labor and Regulation says that to be eligible for benefits, members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe must be unemployed or unable to do business as a direct result of the severe weather that affected the reservation from May 8 through May 29.

Tribal members will need their Social Security cards, copies of their most recent federal income tax forms or check stubs or documentation to show that they were working or self-employed when the disaster occurred.

People can apply for benefits by calling the Unemployment Insurance Call Center at 605-626-3179.