When And How Will I Be Paid My Weekly Unemployment
The North Carolina DES uses a debit card as the default method to make UI benefit payments more secure and convenient for claimants. Users have access to their benefits 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through Bank of America, which administers the program, or anywhere that Visa debit cards are accepted. You do not need to have a bank account as the debit card is separate from any particular existing bank account you may have.
Claimants who do not want to use a debit card have the option of choosing to have their benefit payments directly deposited into their own existing checking or savings account at any participating bank, savings and loan or credit union. Direct deposit is confidential, automatic and convenient and allows you to withdraw cash on the same date that payments are made to your account.
Cumberland County Unemployment Offices & Job Centers
- Get answers to common questions about unemployment for those who have lost work due to COVID-19.
- Youll need to file weekly claims and search for work to keep collecting unemployment benefits.
- Find out the weekly unemployment benefit limits in North Carolina.
- Learn how to find and contact the North Carolina unemployment agency.
- Find out how to appeal if your unemployment benefits claim is denied by the North Carolina Department of Commerce: Division of Employment Security.
Apply For An Extension
Unemployment insurance benefits are temporary. In most states, you can get benefits for up to 26 weeks.
However, some states offer benefits for only 13 weeks or fewer.
If you have exhausted your regular unemployment insurance benefits and are still between jobs heres what you can do:
If your state is experiencing particularly high levels of unemployment, you may be eligible to receive up to 13 additional weeks or more depending on the state and the circumstances.
Furthermore, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has programs that extend unemployment benefits beyond the state limits.
Check with your states unemployment agency for information on how to apply for an extension.
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When Do My Benefits End
North Carolina determines the number of weeks you may get unemployment based on the statewide unemployment rate, which is adjusted seasonally. North Carolina unemployment insurance benefits are typically available for anywhere from 12 weeks to 20 weeks but may be extended during times of economic crisis.
Under normal circumstances your unemployment payments may end earlier if you fail to meet continuing eligibility requirements. Youre typically required to keep a written record of your job search by filing a new claim via your online account weekly. Failure to file the weekly certification of benefits on time will stop your benefit payment for that week, and youll have to reopen your claim and delay payment with a new waiting period.
S To Create An Online Account
IMPORTANT: USE A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS WHEN YOU CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT.
1. Click on Create an Online Account on the DES homepage, des.nc.gov.
2. Enter your Social Security Number twice.
3. Select Next. On the User Account Creation page:
- Create a User Name .
- Enter a valid email address twice.
- Create a PIN number .
- Enter your contact phone number.
- Create a Password .
4.Select Create Account.
5.You can now Sign In at des.nc.gov. Use the User Name and Password you entered when creating your Online Account in Step 3.
Creating an Online Account for Claimants
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What Is The Maximum And Minimum Benefit
The Regular Unemployment Benefit maximum in North Carolina is $350 per week plus the maximum $600 from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance for a total of $950.
The minimum unemployment benefit varies based on the amount in your regular base period. In South Carolina, unemployment benefits range from $42 to $326 a week, before taxes.
$350 plus the maximum $600 from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance for a total of $950 weekly.
Why Is The Wait So Long For Unemployment Benefits In North Carolina
If you lose your job through no fault of your own, you may qualify for unemployment. It can take several weeks to get your first unemployment paycheck in North Carolina, especially if there are a large number of people applying at the same time. You cannot receive unemployment until the unemployment office verifies your claim and your one-week waiting period expires.
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Tips For Filing For Unemployment Benefits
When youre filing for unemployment benefits, its important to read all the information you receive from the Division of Employment Security, know your responsibilities and provide accurate information. If you dont, you may have to pay back benefits you were not eligible to receive, or you may be committing fraud.
Follow these Tips for Filing for Unemployment Benefits to avoid errors and help ensure you receive proper benefit payments.
What Is A Separation Payment
Alert! Claims effective July 2, 2017 and beyond: Paid Time Off will not be considered separation pay if the payment was issued as a result of the employers written policy established prior to your separation.
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How To Apply For Unemployment In North Carolina
by Maurie Backman | Updated July 17, 2021 – First published on March 30, 2020
Many or all of the products here are from our partners that pay us a commission. Its how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts opinions arent influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.
Lost your job because of COVID-19? This is what you need to know about unemployment benefits in North Carolina.
The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in millions of Americans losing their jobs. If your income has taken a hit during the crisis, you may get relief via unemployment benefits. This quick guide will help you navigate the process if you plan to file a claim in North Carolina.
Reemployment Services And Eligibility Assessment
The Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment program delivers regularly scheduled case management services when youâre looking for work. In this program, local staff provide the following services:
- Information on careers and the labor market
- An assessment and an eligibility review
- Help with developing a reemployment plan
- Referrals to at least two reemployment-related services, such as workshops or training opportunities
- An orientation to reemployment services
Enrollment in the program can last up to 10 weeks.
During the initial visit, you may be required to report in-person to an NCWorks Career Centersubsequent appointments may be conducted by telephone or e-mail. If you do not report for your scheduled appointment, your benefits may be affected.
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What Are The Requirements To Qualify For Unemployment Benefits In North Carolina
To be eligible to receive payments you must meet the requirements as set forth by the DES. The state has three basic criteria.
- You must be unemployed through no fault of your own. This means that you were laid off or let go due to lack of work. You will not be eligible for benefits if you were fired for misconduct or you voluntarily quit.
- You must be monetarily eligible. To be able to receive benefits, you must meet certain minimum wage criteria. This means you have earned qualifying dollar amounts during your Base Period.
You must be able, available and actively seeking work. The state maintains that you must contact at least five employers each week you claim benefits as part of your requirements. In addition, it is mandatory that you must register with the states job search and training program NCWorks.gov.
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What Ls An Issue
An issue is an act or circumstance, which, by virtue of State or Federal law/regulation, could affect your eligibility for UI benefits. Whenever an issue is discovered, benefit payments may be interrupted until the issue is resolved. There are three possible resolutions to an issue:
If you have an issue on your UI claim, while awaiting a resolution, you should continue to file your weekly certifications.
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Are You Available And Actively Searching For Work
To maintain your eligibility for unemployment benefits, you must be able to work, available to accept a job, and looking for employment.
If you’re offered a suitable position, you must accept it. For the initial unemployment period, whether a position is suitable depends on several factors, including the level of skill and training required, the similarity between the work and your previous employment, how much the position pays, and the distance between the job site and your residence. However, after ten weeks of receiving benefits, any job that pays 120% of your weekly benefit is deemed suitable work.
You must conduct a reasonable search for work. At a minimum, you must make contact with two different employers on two separates days of the week. You should keep records of the employers you’ve contacted, the dates you made contact, and the outcome. The DES will ask you to provide a weekly certification verifying your efforts to find work. You will also be required to register for work by building a resume.
Your Work Search Responsibilities
To receive unemployment insurance benefits, you must seek work with at least three potential employers each week and maintain a detailed and verifiable record of your work search. If you cannot prove you looked for work, you may be considered overpaid and required to repay benefits.
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Find Out Why You May Have Your Unemployment Benefits Denied In North Carolina
In the event that you have had your unemployment compensation benefits denied in NC, you will receive a letter of determination stating the specific reasons for the decision. Former employees must meet the specific qualifications for unemployment that are set by the DES in order to receive unemployment insurance within the state. Denied unemployment benefits may be the result of various different factors. First of all, NC residents must be out of work through no fault of their own and must be physically able and willing to work at any given time in order to receive unemployment benefits.
On the other hand, generally, residents may be denied unemployment benefits due to any of the following reasons:
North Carolina residents can file an unemployment denial appeal for any reason they believe is just. For instance, if you are unemployed due to wrongful termination and you believe you were unjustly denied unemployment, then you may submit the necessary evidence to prove your case in an appeal hearing.
Create An Online Account At Desncgov To:
- File a claim for unemployment
- Complete your Weekly Certifications
- Check your Claim Status
To help prevent fraud and protect claimant and employer information, DES is increasing security measures for accessing its online benefits system.
ID.me: DES is partnering with ID.me to provide a secure identity verification process for unemployment claimants. Claimants may receive an email from DES notifying them that they must verify their identity through ID.me to access their account and be eligible for benefits. Claimants should click on the link in the email to start the verification process, which can be completed online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Multi-Factor Authentication: When signing into their DES account, individuals may be asked to verify their identity using Multi-Factor Authentication. DES will send a one-time passcode to the email address on file for the account. The user must enter the one-time passcode and their password to access their account.
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What Is The Amount Of The Unemployment Benefits In Nc
Your eligibility for the benefits is determined by your base period. The base period is the period of the first four calendar quarters of the last five quarters of your work history and wages.
Your weekly unemployment benefit amount is calculated by the DES by considering your overall wages for the last two quarters and then, dividing it by 52. At this point, the final eligibility is determined. If the total of your wages for the last two completed quarters is up to 15 USD, you will be qualified to receive the weekly benefits up to a maximum of 350 USD per week.
Other Information
The moment you start receiving your weekly benefits, it is advisable that you maintain your eligibility among which is filing weekly claims and reporting on your job search. The availability of unemployment benefits is between 12 weeks and 20 weeks. Notwithstanding, if there is an economic crisis, states may choose to revise this condition.
Do You Meet The Minimum Earnings Requirement
Virtually all states look at your recent work history and earnings during a one-year âbase periodâ to determine your eligibility for unemployment. . In North Carolina, as in most states, the base period is the earliest four of the five complete calendar quarters before you filed your benefits claim. For example, if you filed your claim in October of 2019, the base period would be from June 1, 2018, through May 31, 2019.
During the base period, your earnings must meet both of the following requirements:
- You must have earned wages in at least two quarters of the base period.
- You must have earned at least $790 in one of the last two quarters of the base period.
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How Do I Apply For Unemployment Benefits In North Carolina
In response to the coronavirus outbreak, some states have imposed restrictions on people gathering in public locations. This may affect your ability to access physical offices of the the North Carolina Department of Commerce: Division of Employment Security in person. Check North Carolinas unemployment insurance agency website for more information. And, read on to find out how you can file for unemployment insurance benefits in North Carolina online or by phone.
Enhanced unemployment benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act ended on September 6, 2021, and are no longer provided.
North Carolinas unemployment insurance agency website gives you the information you need to apply for unemployment insurance in North Carolina. The North Carolina Department of Commerce: Division of Employment Securitys website tells you:
- What information youll need on hand to apply for unemployment insurance benefits
- How to apply online for unemployment insurance benefits
North Carolina Unemployment Estimator
- If you quit your job without “good cause”.
- If you are fired due to misconduct.
- If you refuse to work without “good cause” to.
- If you file a claim while already being employed.
- If you are not working because of a strike or type of industry/labor dispute. Exceptions can be made during a “lockout”.
- In some cases, if you suffer from a loss of work due to a strike even though you are not involved with the strike, you cannot collect North Carolina state benefits.
Extended North Carolina BenefitsRegarding Filing Mistakes: Any mistake made during the NC claims process can be corrected by simply press the “back” button on your browser to correct your answer.
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File Your Weekly Certification
You must submit a Weekly Certification after each week for which you would like to receive benefits. The Weekly Certification is a series of questions that helps verify that you were able, available, and looking for work that week.
Weekly certifications must be filed online.
If you dont have access to a computer, you can contact our customer call center by calling 1-888-737-0259.
How Much Will I Get
How much you get in weekly benefits will depend on how much you earned over the base period. To check your entitlement, divide how much you made in the last two-quarters by 52. This will be paid up to a maximum of $350 and a minimum of $15. In addition to what you get from the state, youll also be eligible to receive a supplementary weekly payment of $600 per week under the provisions of the CARES Act. The payment can be collected until the program ends in the last week of July.
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Other Types Of Benefits And Programs For The Unemployed
Educational Help
Federal agencies offer many unemployment education and training programs. They are generally free or low cost to the unemployed.
Self-Employment Help
Self-employment assistance programs help unemployed workers start their own small businesses. Delaware, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, and Oregon offer this program.
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Potential Closure Or Layoffs
North Carolina employers that are planning a closure or layoffs as a result of the coronavirus can get assistance through the special employer programs. These special employer program teams will meet with you to discuss your needs, help you avoid potential layoffs, and provide immediate services on-site to assist workers that are facing imminent job losses.
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North Carolina Changes Unemployment Benefit Requirements To Assist Employees Dealing With Covid
On March 17, 2020, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper issued Executive Order 118, which, among other measures, makes temporary changes to North Carolinas unemployment benefits program in order to assist employees and employers dealing with economic hardship and uncertainty brought on by the current spread of COVID-19. These changes will make it easier for individuals whose jobs are impacted by the virus to apply for and receive unemployment benefits, and ease the burden on employers by not allocating charges to their accounts for COVID-19 related benefits.
What Does Executive Order 118 Change About Applying for Benefits?
Executive Order 118 makes several temporary changes to the administration of unemployment benefits under North Carolina law. While recently terminated employees must generally wait for a period of one week before applying for unemployment benefits, the Executive Order removes that requirement, while also removing the requirements that employees must be actively seeking work, allowing workers who temporarily lose their jobs because of COVID-19 to quickly apply for benefits.
Finally, the Executive Order postpones in-person application and other in-person contact, and allows individuals to apply for benefits and submit weekly certifications by phone or over the internet.
How does Executive Order 118 Impact Employers?
What do These Changes Mean for Employers and Employees?
