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DUA is a federal program that provides temporary payments to people in a federally declared disaster area whose employment has been lost or interrupted as a direct result of the disaster.

Workers or business owners meeting the following criteria may be eligible for benefits: 

  • You exhausted your UI benefits and are still unemployed as a result of the disaster.
  • You are self-employed or a small business owner who is unemployed as a direct result of the disaster.
  • You are prevented from working due to an injury caused by the disaster.
  • You became the major supplier of household income due to the disaster-related death of the previous major supplier of household income.
  • You are unable to reach your job or self-employment location because you must travel through the affected area and are prevented from doing so by the disaster.
  • You were unable to begin employment or self-employment due to the disaster.

Yes. If you live in or get most of your income from areas affected by the disaster, you may qualify.  You MUST provide proof of this employment AND income within 21 days of filing your claim.  Failure to provide proof within 21 days may adversely affect your potential benefits. Please see examples of acceptable proof listed below.

Yes. When completing your weekly certification, you must report all gross wages earned during that week

Apply for regular Unemployment Insurance (UI) online at des.nc.gov. This will take you through the disaster-related claim filing process. 

Thirty (30) days after the date of the DES announcement that your county is covered by the Federal Disaster Declaration. A list of counties and eligible dates can be found on the DES website.

To apply, you should have the following information ready and available: 

  • The names and addresses of all employers you worked for within the last 18 months, including those in other states.
  • Your county of residence
  • Your county of employment
  • Your mailing address and zip code.
  • A telephone number where you can be reached for additional information.

Yes. You can apply for FEMA and/or any other state or federal benefits available due to the disaster. 

You must complete a weekly certification each week you are unemployed as a direct result of the disaster. A weekly certification is a series of yes/no questions a claimant must answer each week to be considered for payment for that week. You may file your weekly certification:

Online: des.nc.gov 

If you need assistance with completing your weekly certification, contact the DES Customer Call Center at 888-737-0259.

 

Your entitlement to DUA benefits is considered on a week-to-week basis. DES must determine each week you receive DUA benefits that you are unemployed as a direct result of the disaster. Periodically, you will be subject to a review to determine continued eligibility. 

The DUA weekly benefit amount is computed using your prior year’s reported income.  

Yes. Your eligibility for DUA will be determined on a weekly basis. You must claim each week by completing a weekly certification and be unemployed for that week as a direct result of the disaster.

Benefits are paid by direct deposit to your personal checking or savings account or by an agency issued debit card. 

No. DUA and/or UI benefits paid as a direct result of a disaster are not charged to your account if your employee collects benefits. 

*You must respond to all DES requests to ensure non-charging of your employer account. 

DES will update the agency website (des.nc.gov) when information becomes available. Employers can call the Employer Call Center at 1.866.278.3822 for general information. For additional information regarding disaster-related benefits, visit the benefits.gov website.

DES will automatically consider you for DUA benefits once you exhaust UI, based upon information you submitted when filing your UI claim. For further assistance or questions:

Contact the DUA Hotline:

866-847-7209

or 

Submit a secure message via the DES website (des.nc.gov):

On the DES homepage, click Customer Call Center Online Contact Form (insert link). In the ‘Subject’ dropdown list of the contact form, select ‘Need help filing a Disaster Unemployment Assistance Claim’. Complete all required fields on the page and then click ‘Submit Message’. After submitting the message, a DES Customer Call Center Consultant will contact you to provide assistance.

Full/Part time Employment 

  • Recent Pay Stubs
  • Copy of Work schedule
  • Notice of Employment from the Employer

Scheduled Employment

  • Notice of Hire from the Employer
  • Copy of Employment Contract

Self-Employment 

  • Federal Tax Return
  • Business License
  • Recent Bill in the Company’s name
  • Work logs showing current business
  • Customer Invoices
  • Recent Contracts
  • Property titles/deeds
  • Rental agreement for place of business
  • Bank statements in the Company’s name

Worksite Damaged 

  • Photographic evidence
  • Insurance Claims
  • Newspaper Articles
  • Repair Bills/Estimates

Worksite Closed

  • Notice of Closure from State/Local Government
  • Decision to close from the board
  • Other documentation showing that a closure was necessary

Road Closures

  • Photographic evidence
  • Newspaper reports
  • Department of Transportation records

Transportation Problems

  • Personal Vehicle repair bill
  • Insurance claims
  • Records of public transit closure
  • Photographic evidence of transportation problems

Injured During the Disaster

  • Hospital Records
  • Doctor’s Note
  • Insurance Claims

Became Head of Household due to Death of the Breadwinner

  • Death Certificate
  • Obituary

Income

  • Previous Year Federal Tax Return

*Proof needed to complete the processing of your claim for disaster-related benefits must be submitted within 21 days of filing.