Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)
If your employment has been lost or interrupted because of a federally declared disaster, you may be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA).
If you are unemployed as a direct result of a federally declared disaster, you may be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance.
DUA is a federal program that provides temporary payments for people who, as a direct result of a disaster, meet one of the following conditions:
No longer have the job that provided their primary source of income.
Are unable to reach their place of employment.
Cannot work because of an injury caused by the storm.
Were unable to begin employment or self-employment due to the storm.
Have become the major supplier of household income due to a storm-related death of the previous major supplier of household income.
The N.C. Division of Employment Security (DES) will review your eligibility for benefits. You may be asked to provide proof that you meet one of these conditions.
People, self-employed people or business owners may be eligible for DUA if:
You lived, worked or were scheduled to work in an area declared a disaster area by the President of the United States;
You lost employment or had your employment interrupted as a direct result of the disaster; and
You have exhausted or are not eligible for state unemployment benefits.
Eligibility for DUA is determined weekly. You must continue to be out of work as a direct result of the disaster each week to receive benefits.
If you are self-employed, a farmer or a commercial fisher, you must provide proof of employment and income within 21 days of filing your claim. Please see examples of acceptable proof listed below.
If you are unemployed as a direct result of a disaster, your first steps are:
- File a claim for unemployment.
- Provide disaster-related information when you file your claim.
File your weekly certifications each week while waiting for a determination from DES.
When there is a federal disaster in North Carolina, DES will announce the areas in which DUA benefits are available and deadlines for applying.
The fasted way to file a claim is to file online at des.nc.gov. If you need help, you may file over the phone by calling the DUA Hotline at 919-629-3857 (English) and 919-276-5698 (Spanish).
Go to des.nc.gov.
Create a MyNCUIBenefits account. Read more: https://www.des.nc.gov/create-online-account-english/download?attachment..
Sign in to file your claim.
Click File a New Unemployment Insurance Claim. File for state unemployment benefits and DUA during the same claim process.
If you are eligible for state benefits, you must exhaust those benefits before you can receive DUA.
If you are not eligible for state benefits, DES will determine if you are eligible for DUA benefits.
When filing for DUA, select A federally-declared disaster when asked to give a reason for unemployment.
If you are self-employed, a farmer or a commercial fisher, you must provide proof of employment and income within 21 days of filing your claim.
DES notifies you once your eligibility is determined.
You must complete a Weekly Certification for every week you are filing for unemployment to get payments. If you earned any wages during the week, you must report them on your Weekly Certification.
You have 60 days from the date DES announces that your county is covered by the federal disaster declaration to file for unemployment. Impacted counties and related dates can be found on the DES website: des.nc.gov.
To apply, you should have the following information ready and available:
- 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. Non-citizens will also need their Alien Registration number.
Have proof of employment and income if you’re self-employed, a farmer, or a commercial fisher.
When you file for Disaster Unemployment Claim, you may be asked to verify your identity. This is a process in which you confirm you are who you say you are. This can be done online through ID.me or in person at a United States Postal Service location. Due to the devastating impacts from Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina, some of the USPS locations are closed. See the list provided by the USPS for alternate and closed retail locations: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/residential/north-carolina.htm.
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 filing your weekly certification, you must report gross wages earned that week. Gross wages are the total amount of money an employee earns before deductions or taxes are taken out of their paycheck.
Yes. You can apply for FEMA and 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.
The fastest way to file a weekly certification is to file online at des.nc.gov. If you need help or don’t have access to a computer, you may file over the phone by calling the DES Customer Call Center at 919-629-3857.
To file online:
- Sign in to your MyNCUIBenefits account.
- Go to the Action Required box and click on File Weekly Certification.
Please allow up to 48 hours for payments to fully process.
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.
DUA weekly benefit amounts are based on your income from last year.
No, you do not file a claim each week. However, you do need to file a weekly certification each week. Your eligibility for DUA is determined weekly. You must complete a weekly certification and be unemployed for that week due to the disaster.
The Division of Employment Security is temporarily suspending requirements for work search, work registration, and being able and available for work if you are in one of the disaster-declared areas, were impacted by the disaster and have applied for unemployment on or after September 29, 2024.
Benefits are paid directly to your checking or savings account, or through a DES-issued debit card.
Businesses are NOT charged for unemployment benefits paid as a direct result of a DUA event. However, you must respond to all DES requests to ensure your employer account is not charged.
DES will update the agency website (des.nc.gov) when information becomes available. Employers can call the UI Employer Support Center at 866-278-3822 for more information.
For additional information regarding disaster-related benefits, visit the benefits.gov website.
DES will automatically check your eligibility for DUA once you use up your regular unemployment benefits. This eligibility is based on information you submitted when you filed your claim.
Contact the DUA Hotline: 919-629-3857 (English) or 919-276-5698 (Spanish)
Within 21 days of filing, you must submit at least one required proof to process your disaster-related claim. However, providing more proof will help DES process your claim quickly.
See the list below for examples of acceptable proof to file for DUA.
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
- Documentation that offer of employment was taken back due to the disaster
Self-Employment
- Federal tax return for prior taxable year
- 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
- Photo evidence
- Insurance claims
- Newspaper articles
- Repair bills/estimates
Worksite Closed
- Notice of closure from state/local government
- Decision to close from company’s board of directors
- Other documentation showing that a closure was necessary
Road Closures
- Photo evidence
- Newspaper reports
- Department of Transportation records
Transportation Problems
- Personal vehicle repair bill
- Insurance claims
- Records of public transit closure
- Photo 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