Only Four Days Left to Apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance

There are only four days left to timely apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) for 39 North Carolina counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina. The deadline to timely file for DUA benefits is March 10. 

Approximately 19,680 survivors of Hurricane Helene have received $81,175,356 in disaster-related unemployment benefits since the storm swept across Western North Carolina in late September 2024. This surpasses the number of people who received benefits from Hurricanes Matthew (2016), Florence (2018) and Fred (2021) combined.

“We are committed to providing financial assistance to help people rebuild following the devastation that Hurricane Helene left our neighbors in Western North Carolina,” said Assistant Secretary M. Antwon Keith. “The Division of Employment Security will review late applications on a case-by-case basis.”

Disaster Unemployment Assistance benefits are available for residents of the following counties: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Nash, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey counties as well as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina.

People in these counties who are unemployed as a direct result of Hurricane Helene may be eligible for unemployment benefits under the DUA program. Business owners affected by the storm may also qualify for benefits. Applications for DUA can be filed online at des.nc.gov.

DUA is available in these above-listed counties for weeks of unemployment effective Sept. 29, 2024, and may last for up to 26 weeks (or through March 29, 2025). Eligibility for DUA is determined weekly, and you must continue to be out of work as a direct result of the disaster each week to get unemployment benefits.

1. You must apply for state unemployment benefits. If you are determined to be ineligible for or have exhausted your regular benefits, then you may be eligible for a DUA claim.
2. You will need the following to file for unemployment:
   • Name and address of all employers you worked with within the last 24 months.
   • County of residence.
   • County of employment.
   • Mailing address and ZIP code.
   • Valid telephone number.
   • Your Social Security number or your Alien Registration number.
   • Have proof of employment and income if you’re self-employed, a farmer, or a commercial fisher. 
3. To get DUA benefits, proof of employment at the time of the disaster is required within 21 days of the filing of the DUA claim.
4. People who want to have self-employment income calculated in their DUA benefit amount must submit proof of income from 2023 including business ledgers, bank statements or tax return. DES has an option that permits the N.C. Department of Revenue to give DES their 2023 tax return.

If you need help, call the dedicate DUA Hotline at 919-629-3857 between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to apply for DUA benefits. For more information, go to: des.nc.gov/dua.

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