(a) In all States, except as provided in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, the amount of DUA payable to an unemployed worker or unemployed self-employed individual for a week of total unemployment shall be the weekly amount of compensation the individual would have been paid as regular compensation, as computed under the provisions of the applicable State law for a week of total unemployment. In no event shall such amount be in excess of the maximum amount of regular compensation authorized under the applicable State law for that week.

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(1) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) or (b) of this section, in computing an individual’s weekly amount of DUA, qualifying employment and wage requirements and benefit formula of the applicable State law shall be applied; and for purposes of this section, employment, wages, and self-employment which are not covered by the applicable State law shall be treated in the same manner and with the same effect as covered employment and wages, but shall not include employment or self-employment, or wages earned or paid for employment or self-employment, which is contrary to or prohibited by any Federal law, such as, but not limited to, section 3304(a)(14)(A) of the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (26 U.S.C. § 3304(a)(14)(A)).

(2) For purposes of paragraph (a)(1) of this section, the base period to be utilized in computing the DUA weekly amount shall be the most recent tax year that has ended for the individual (whether an employee or self-employed) prior to the individual’s unemployment that was a direct result of the major disaster. The self-employment income to be treated as wages for purposes of computing the weekly amount under this paragraph (a) shall be the net income reported on the tax return of the individual as income from all self-employment that was dependent upon the performance of services by the individual. If an individual has not filed a tax return for the most recent tax year that has ended at the time of such individual’s initial application for DUA, such individual shall have a weekly amount determined in accordance with paragraph (e)(3) of this section.

(3) As of the date of filing an initial application for DUA, family members over the age of majority, as defined under the statutes of the applicable State, who were customarily or routinely employed or self-employed as a family unit or in the same self-employment business prior to the individuals’ unemployment that was a direct result of the major disaster, shall have the wages from such employment or net income from the self-employment allocated equally among such adult family members for purposes of computing a weekly amount under this paragraph (a), unless the documentation to substantiate employment or self-employment and wages earned or paid for such employment or self-employment submitted as required by paragraph (e) of this section supports a different allocation. Family members under the age of majority as of the date of filing an initial application for DUA shall have a weekly amount computed under this paragraph (a) based on the actual wages earned or paid for employment or self-employment rather than an equal allocation.

(b) If the weekly amount computed under paragraph (a) of this section is less than 50 percent of the average weekly payment of regular compensation in the State, as provided quarterly by the Department, or, if the individual has insufficient wages from employment or insufficient or no net income from self-employment (which includes individuals falling within paragraphs (a)(3) and (b)(3) of § 625.5) in the applicable base period to compute a weekly amount under paragraph (a) of this section, the individual shall be determined entitled to a weekly amount equal to 50 percent of the average weekly payment of regular compensation in the State.

(1) If an individual was customarily or routinely employed or self-employed less than full-time prior to the individual’s unemployment as a direct result of the major disaster, such individual’s weekly amount under this paragraph (b)(1) shall be determined by calculating the percent of time the individual was employed or self-employed compared to the customary and usual hours per week that would constitute the average per week hours for year-round full-time employment or self-employment for the occupation, then applying the percentage to the determined 50 percent of the average weekly amount of regular compensation paid in the State. The State agency shall utilize information furnished by the applicant at the time of filing an initial application for DUA and any labor market or occupational information available within the State agency to determine the average per week hours for full-time employment or self-employment for the occupation. If the weekly amount computed for an individual under this paragraph (b)(1) is less than the weekly amount computed under paragraph (a) of this section for the individual, the individual shall be entitled to the higher weekly amount.

(2) The weekly amount so determined under paragraph (b)(1) of this section, if not an even dollar amount, shall be rounded in accordance with the applicable State law.

(c) In the Territory of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the amount of DUA payable to an unemployed worker or unemployed self-employed individual for a week of total unemployment shall be the average of the payments of regular compensation made under all State laws referred to in § 625.2(r)(1)(i) for weeks of total unemployment in the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters immediately preceding the quarter in which the major disaster began. The weekly amount so determined, if not an even dollar amount, shall be rounded to the next higher dollar.

(d) In American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the amount of DUA payable to an unemployed worker or unemployed self-employed individual for a week of total unemployment shall be the amount agreed upon by the Regional Administrator, Employment and Training Administration, for Region VI (San Francisco), and the Federal Coordinating Officer, which shall approximate 50 percent of the area-wide average of the weekly wages paid to individuals in the major disaster area in the quarter immediately preceding the quarter in which the major disaster began. The weekly amount so determined, if not an even dollar amount, shall be rounded to the next higher dollar.

(e) The State agency shall immediately determine, upon the filing of an initial application for DUA, a weekly amount under the provisions of paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, as the case may be, based on the individual’s statement of employment or self-employment preceding the individual’s unemployment that was a direct result of the major disaster, and wages earned or paid for such employment or self-employment. An immediate determination of a weekly amount shall also be made where, in conjunction with the filing of an initial application for DUA, the individual submits documentation substantiating employment or self-employment and wages earned or paid for such employment or self-employment, or, in the absence of documentation, where any State agency records of employment or self-employment and wages earned or paid for such employment or self-employment, justify the determination of a weekly amount. An immediate determination shall also be made based on the individual’s statement or in conjunction with the submittal of documentation in those cases where the individual was to commence employment or self-employment on or after the date the major disaster began but was prevented from doing so as a direct result of the disaster.

(1) In the case of a weekly amount determined in accordance with paragraph (e) of this section, based only on the individual’s statement of earnings, the individual shall furnish documentation to substantiate the employment or self-employment or wages earned from or paid for such employment or self-employment or documentation to support that the individual was to commence employment or self-employment on or after the date the major disaster began. In either case, documentation shall be submitted within 21 calendar days of the filing of the initial application for DUA.

(2) Any individual who fails to submit documentation to substantiate employment or self-employment or the planned commencement of employment or self-employment in accordance with paragraph (e)(1) of this section, shall be determined ineligible for the payment of DUA for any week of unemployment due to the disaster. Any weeks for which DUA was already paid on the application prior to the date of the determination of ineligibility under this paragraph (e)(2) are overpaid and a determination shall be issued in accordance with § 625.14(a). In addition, the State agency shall consider whether the individual is subject to a disqualification for fraud in accordance with the provisions set forth in § 625.14(i).

(3) For purposes of a computation of a weekly amount under paragraph (a) of this section, if an individual submits documentation to substantiate employment or self-employment in accordance with paragraph (e)(1), but not documentation of wages earned or paid during the base period set forth in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, including those cases where the individual has not filed a tax return for the most recent tax year that has ended, the State agency shall immediately redetermine the weekly amount of DUA payable to the individual in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section.

(4) Any individual determined eligible for a weekly amount of DUA under the provisions of paragraph (e)(3) of this section may submit necessary documentation to substantiate wages earned or paid during the base period set forth in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, including those cases where the individual has not filed a tax return for the most recent tax year that has ended, at any time prior to the end of the disaster assistance period. A redetermination of the weekly amount payable, as previously determined under paragraph (b) of this section, shall immediately be made if the wages earned or paid for services performed in employment or self-employment reflected in such documentation is sufficient to permit a computation under paragraph (a) of this section of a weekly amount higher than was determined under paragraph (b) of this section. Any higher amount so determined shall be applicable to all weeks during the disaster assistance period for which the individual was eligible for the payment of DUA.

(f)(1) The weekly amount of DUA payable to an unemployed worker or unemployed self-employed individual for a week of partial or part-total unemployment shall be the weekly amount determined under paragraph (a), (b), (c) or (d) of this section, as the case may be, reduced (but not below zero) by the amount of wages that the individual earned in that week as determined by applying to such wages the earnings allowance for partial or part-total employment prescribed by the applicable State law.

(2) The weekly amount of DUA payable to an unemployed self-employed individual for a week of unemployment shall be the weekly amount determined under paragraph (a), (b), (c) or (d) of this section, as the case may be, reduced (but not below zero) by the full amount of any income received during the week for the performance of services in self-employment, regardless of whether or not any services were performed during the week, by applying the earnings allowance as set forth in paragraph (f)(1) of this section. Notwithstanding the definition of “wages” for a self-employed individual under § 625.2(u), the term “any income” for purposes of this paragraph (f)(2) means gross income.

[60 FR 25568, May 11, 1995, as amended at 71 FR 35516, June 21, 2006]