In the past 24 hours, the Division of Employment Security has made more than $100 million in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation payments to North Carolinians receiving unemployment assistance, ahead of its timeline to begin FPUC payments by April 17.
The division has now paid out a total of more than $216 million to 185,000 people for unemployment claims effective as of March 15.
The FPUC program provides an additional $600 in weekly unemployment insurance benefits to eligible claimants for weeks beginning March 29 and ending by July 31, 2020. Individuals who are still owed FPUC payments will be paid retroactively.
DES is working as quickly as possible to roll out the two remaining federal unemployment programs to ensure timely and accurate payments for eligible North Carolinians.
- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). This program provides unemployment compensation for individuals not eligible for regular unemployment insurance, such as independent contractors and self-employed workers, and those who have exhausted any extensions to unemployment insurance.
DES estimates its online filing system will be ready to accept claims for this assistance program around April 25, 2020.
- Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC). This program provides up to 13 additional weeks of benefits for those who have exhausted their state unemployment benefits. DES will update the public as a timeline for this program is available.
Updates about eligibility and how to apply for these benefits will be provided on des.nc.gov.
Since March 15, 2020, the Division of Employment Security has received nearly 600,000 claims for unemployment benefits, with most of them related to COVID-19. Prior to March 16, 2020, DES received approximately 3,000 claims a week.
*Includes $100,517,928 of Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation payments
