Residents in four northwest North Carolina counties — Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga and Wilkes — have been declared eligible for federal disaster unemployment assistance benefits, the N.C. Division of Employment Security said Tuesday.
The eligibility is a byproduct of the Biden administration’s declaration of a state of emergency in North Carolina from the devastating rainfall and flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene.
The disaster unemployment assistance covers individuals who are unemployed as a direct result of Hurricane Helene. Business owners and self-employed individuals affected by the storm also may qualify for benefits.
Benefits would be made retroactive to Sept. 29 and may last for up to 26 weeks.
There are 21 other counties, along with the Cherokee Indians of N.C., that have been approved: Alexander, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania and Yancey.
People are also reading…
The division said additional counties may be added at a later date.
Eligible individuals have until Dec. 2 to file an application for disaster unemployment assistance at or the DUA Hotline at 919-629-3857.
Individuals must first apply for state unemployment benefits. For those determined to be ineligible for or have exhausted regular state benefits, they may be eligible to make a federal disaster unemployment assistance claim.
Eligibility is determined weekly, and individuals must continue to be out of work as a direct result of the disaster each week to get unemployment benefits.
Those eligible include:
- No longer have the job that provided their primary source of income;
- Are unable to reach their place of unemployment;
- Cannot work because of an injury caused by the storm;
- Were unable to begin employment or self-employment due to the storm; and
- Have become the major supplier of household income due to a storm-related death of the previous major supplier of household income.
Documentation required includes: 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; Social Security number or Alien Registration number; proof of employment and income if you’re self-employed, a farmer or a commercial fisher.
All required documentation must be submitted within 21 days from the day the application is filed.
DES said it will work with people who cannot provide all documentation to ensure that their unemployment benefits are not delayed.
