Can I File A Claim If I Am Not A United States Citizen
If you are not a citizen or national of the United States, you must have legal authority to work in the U.S. You must present either:
Can You Go To Jail For Collecting Unemployment While Working
Yes. It is fraud to claim that you are unemployed while working. This is dishonest and the Federal Government may charge you with a crime. In addition, you may be liable for penalties, interest and withholdings and executions on your
How Do I Qualify For Unemployment Benefits
Under normal circumstances you may qualify for regular state unemployment benefits if:;
Due to COVID, Governor Cooper has waived the following requirements while the public health emergency is in effect:
- There is no one-week waiting period to receive benefits once you are approved
- There is no work search requirement to get unemployment benefits;for claims filed before
- Employers unemployment accounts are not charged for the unemployment benefits that their former employees receive if the unemployment was related to COVID-19.
All of the following are required for you to be eligible for PUA benefits:
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Amount And Duration Of Unemployment Benefits In North Carolina
The DES determines your weekly benefit amount by adding your wages earned in the last two quarters of the base period and dividing that number by 52, up to a maximum benefit of $350 per week. Benefits are typically available for up to 20 weeks, although the federal government has temporarily extended benefits by an additional 13 weeks through the end of March 2021. For an estimate of your potential weekly benefits, use the DES Estimate of Unemployment Insurance Benefits Calculator.
How Many Get Benefits

Just because you’re unemployed or lost your job doesn’t mean you’ll collect benefits.
There’s a big gap between states when measuring the share of jobless people who are receiving unemployment benefits.
North Carolina’s “recipiency rate” is the nation’s lowest; just 10.5% of unemployed workers collect unemployment insurance. In New Jersey, it’s nearly 52%; the nation’s highest share.
There are several factors at play here.
Not all unemployed workers are eligible to collect benefits, for example. Some, like the self-employed and independent contractors, couldn’t generally collect prior to the relief law’s expansion of eligibility criteria. Others may have been fired for cause rather than laid off.;
But some states with small shares may make it more challenging relative to other states to apply for and receive benefits, thereby dragging down their recipiency rates, labor economists said.
Unemployed workers may also be dissuaded from applying for benefits if they think their weekly benefit checks will be small and last for a relatively short time, which would also reduce the percentage. ;
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Nc House Passes Bill That Would End Extra Federal Jobless Benefit In The State
RALEIGH, N.C. – The North Carolina House of Representatives has passed a bill that would end a $300-a-week boost to unemployment benefits in the state.
The House vote took place Thursday, with the bill passing with 71 ayes and 36 noes.
Senate Bill 116, or the Putting North Carolina Back to Work Act, has the purpose of withdrawing the state from from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation agreement that provides additional payments to unemployment insurance claimants through Sept. 6, 2021.
The measure would withdraw North Carolina from the program, joining two dozen other states. The proposal would eliminate these extra benefits 30 days after the bill became law.
North Carolinas unemployed would no longer receive the pandemic-related $300-a-week federal unemployment supplement under the legislation.
Republicans advancing the bill through the Finance Committee argued the extra benefits are slowing down the post-pandemic recovery. Some call them a disincentive to work.
Others say the benefits have been crucial for many people, especially women who are struggling to provide child care to children.
The bill now goes to the state Senate for a vote.
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Does Receiving Social Security Disability Payments Affect My Unemployment Benefits
In order to qualify for benefits, you must be able to work. You are not able to work during any week that you are receiving or applying for benefits under any other state or federal law based on your temporary total or permanent total disability.
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How To Appeal A Denial Of Unemployment Benefits In North Carolina
If your unemployment claim is denied, you have ten days to appeal the decision. This is called a “Higher Authority Review” and is conducted by the DES Assistant Secretary, the Board of the Review, or another designated administrative official.
Your request for appeal must be in writing . After receiving your appeal request, the Higher Authority will review the record and make a decision. In rare cases, the Higher Authority may schedule another hearing to receive evidence. More often, a decision is made based on a review of the documents and testimony already in the record.
If you disagree with the Higher Authority decision, you may ask for reconsideration within the DES , or you may file an appeal in the North Carolina Superior Court .
The DES provides additional information on the unemployment process at its website, where you can apply for benefits online, find out current eligibility requirements and benefit amounts, learn about the appeals process, and much more.
Base Period: Calendar Quarters
Enter your total wage earnings for each of the four calendar quarters listed, which are the first four of the most recent five completed calendar quarters. You must have wages in at least two quarters, and must also have earned at least $790 in at least one of the most recent quarters of the based period in order to qualify for benefits.
If you do not qualify under the standard base period, you may be able to use the most recent four completed quarters as an alternate base period.
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What Is A Nonmonetary Determination
A determination of qualification for benefits based on any consideration that is not monetary is a nonmonetary determination. If you quit a job, get discharged, refuse referral to a job, refuse a job, refuse to enter;DWS-approved training, or fail to complete DWS-approved training, you may be disqualified. You and/or your employer may appeal an unfavorable nonmonetary determination.;
File For Unemployment Insurance
To receive unemployment benefits after losing your job through no fault of your own, you must first file a claim with our Employment Security Division. Remember,;the;fastest;and most efficient;way;to file an unemployment claim is online. You do not need to visit an NCWorks Career Center for that purpose.
Due to the current COVID-19 situation in our state, many more people than normal are applying for unemployment insurance through our system.
- This page on the Employment Security website tells you what information you should have on hand, as you begin the application process.
- We’ll thank you now for your patience, if you end up having to wait to for an answer from our telephone call center or find the application website slow. Due to the unusually high number of people trying to apply right now, the application process may take a little longer than normal times.;;
North Carolina requires that you participate in reemployment programs in order to continue receiving financial assistance from the unemployment insurance program. To help you find work, our Division of Workforce Solutions offers both the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment and the Employability Assessment Interview through our NCWorks Career Centers.
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Are Weekly Claim Certifications Required In North Carolina
Yes. To continue to receive benefits each week, you must certify your claim. You can do this online at the DES website or file by telephone by calling 888-372-3453.
You must follow these NC Unemployment guidelines:
- For North Carolina unemployment eligibility, the earliest you can file a weekly certification is on each Sunday.; The questions you will need to answer will cover the prior seven-day period of Sunday through Saturday.
- You must file your North Carolina weekly claims within 14 days from the week ending date that you are claiming.; For DES purposes, the week begins on Sunday and ends on Saturday.
- If you do not file within that 14 day period, you will not be able to claim benefits for that week.; You will be required to reopen your claim and serve another unpaid waiting week.
- If you use the telephone to file your claim and the last number of your Social Security number is an odd number, you will need to call in and file your claim on Monday for each week.; If your Social Security number ends in an even number, you will need to call in on Tuesday. If you miss either of these days, you can also call in on Wednesday through Sunday.
- The hours to file your claim by both computer and by telephone are 8 am to midnight.
How To Apply For Unemployment Insurance Benefits

You should apply for unemployment compensation as soon as you are unemployed. Most states will make you wait for one week before you are able to apply for unemployment benefits. However, this is currently waived due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Start by starting your personal information, such as your Social Security Number, previous two years of employment history , the last date you worked, your wage history, and if applicable, information for your union. You may need additional information, such as your education level, military service history, or other information.
Try Applying online first. Most states allow you to apply online, in-person, or over the phone. However, states are currently overburdened with applications and many are not accepting in-person applications. So your best bet is to try online first. Be patient, as many states are running antiquated systems that are not designed to handle the flood of applications they are receiving.
Once approved, you may be required to meet with an employment counselor at some point. You will also have to certify your attempts to continue your job search. Most states require this on a weekly basis.
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A Look At The Numbers
According to the latest report from the North Carolina Department of Commerce of Employment Security , July numbers continue to improve in many areas across the state.
The states seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has fallen to 4.4% in July 2021 below the 5.4% national average. The states statistic decreased by half from 8.8% a year ago.
Courtesy NC Department of Commerce; click to enlarge.
Some industries have experienced job growth, including:
- Government 53,800
Weekly Jobless Benefits Of $300 End Monday Impacting Many North Carolinians
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Posted September 3, 2021 6:19 p.m. EDTUpdated September 6, 2021 7:00 a.m. EDT
Raleigh, N.C. If you file for unemployment — starting on Labor Day, you’ll no longer get a $300 weekly bonus.
The federal government is ending those extra payments, which will affect upwards of 10 million people, including many here in North Carolina.
The government had been providing an extra $300 a week to people who lost their jobs during the pandemic the boost was $600 a week earlier and state officials estimate that 70 percent of North Carolinians currently receiving unemployment have already exhausted all of their state benefits and, therefore, won’t be eligible for any more weekly checks.
The number could be upward of 200,000 people affected, said Alexandra Sirota, director of the left-leaning North Carolina Budget & Tax Center.
Along with the expiration of the federal eviction moratoreum, the end of the extra pandemic help could leave many people in challenging situations.
Those who still receive state benefits aren’t in much better shape, Sirota said.
The state unemployment insurance system is not up to the task of stabilizing families and the economy for a full recovery,” she said. “It is providing too few people, too few jobless workers, with too little for too short a time.”
North Carolina unemployment benefits typically pay half a person’s previous salary, capped at $350 a week, for up to 12 weeks.
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What If My Job Wants Me Back With Reduced Hours Can I Still Collect Unemployment
If you are working reduced hours because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the wages you earn will affect the amount of unemployment benefits you are entitled to receive. If you earn $420 per week or more then you will not be able to receive a benefit. ;Each claimant has a Weekly Earning Allowance, 20% of their benefit amount. That is the amount that a claimant can make before their benefit is impacted.;
Who Is A Base Period Employer
Your base period employer is any covered employer who reported wages for you during the base period of your claim. All base period employers are potentially responsible for a proportional share of charges based on the percentage of benefits reported for you during your base period.
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How Much Unemployment Will I Get That Depends On Your State
- Jobless Americans filing for unemployment insurance due to COVID-19 will likely have drastically different experiences depending on where they live.;
- Some states are more generous and some less so when measured by factors such as the amount and duration of benefits.;
- Differences aren’t solely attributable to cost of living, according to economists.
Americans are filing for unemployment benefits in record numbers as the coronavirus pandemic continues to crush the U.S. economy.
Those applying for jobless benefits likely have two simple questions: How much money will I get, and for how long will I get it?
Unfortunately, the answers aren’t so simple. And they depend on the state where you were employed.
Here are some ways benefits can differ around the country.
How Unemployment Works In North Carolina
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North Carolina Unemployment Calculator
Calculate your projected benefit by filling quarterly wages earned below:
We created this calculator to aid you evaluate what you might obtain if you are entitled. We make no promises that the sum you receive will be equal to what the calculator illustrates.
To apply for North Carolina unemployment benefits click here
The most recent figures for North Carolina show an unemployment rate of 4.8%.
Non-Monetary Eligibility Requirements
You can collect benefits if you meet a series of legal eligibility requirements:
- Have earned qualifying wages
- Are unemployed through no fault of their own
- Are able and obtainable to work full-time and
- Are keenly looking for full-time work
In addition to having adequate earnings, you must meet other eligibility benefits to be entitled for UI benefits. Some instances of issues that may influence eligibility for UI benefits comprise:
- Reason for job separation
- Self employment or corporate offices
- Strike or labor disputes
- Denial of a job offer
- Alien status
More details on UI eligibility can be found in the unemployment eligibility article.
Monetary Eligibility Requirements
The claimant must have at least $780 in the last two quarters to establish the minimum weekly benefit amount of fifteen dollars . NC Employment Security law limits the maximum WBA to three hundred fifty dollars .
For more information on unemployment eligibility,visit article.
Guide To Unemployment Benefits In North Carolina

North Carolina unemployment insurance benefits are administered by the North Carolina Department of Commerce Division of Employment Security . Most employers in the state pay state and federal taxes on wages you earn, and a portion of those taxes are used to fund unemployment insurance payments. Individual employees do not pay anything toward unemployment insurance.
In addition to providing temporary wage replacement income for workers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own and who qualify for benefits, the DES also administers NCWorks, a job-training and employment service for unemployed North Carolina workers.
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