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Raleigh, N.C. – The Division of Employment Security (DES) has announced that 12 additional counties have been approved for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) because of the devastating impacts from Hurricane Helene, which brings the total approved for DUA to 39 counties plus the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina.With Thursday’s announcement, DUA benefits are now available for residents of the following additional counties: Cabarrus, Cherokee, Forsyth, Graham, Iredell, Lee, Nash, Rowan, Stanly, Surry, Union and Yadkin counties, in addition to those counties which were previously included in the disaster declaration. Additional counties may be added to the DUA availability designation at a later date. People in the 12 newly approved disaster-declared counties, plus Mecklenburg and Swain counties, who are unable to continue working as a direct result of Hurricane Helene must file an application for benefits by Dec. 9. If you became unemployed as a direct result of the effects of Hurricane Helene impacting North Carolina, you may be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits under the DUA program. Business owners and self-employed individuals affected by the storm may also qualify for benefits.People and business owners must meet the following criteria to be eligible for benefits:

• 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.
• Have become the major supplier of household income due to a storm-related death of the previous major supplier of household income.

DUA is entirely funded by the federal government. You first need to file for state unemployment benefits. If you are determined to be ineligible for state unemployment or have exhausted your state benefits, then you may be eligible for a DUA claim. You will need the following to file for unemployment:

• 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 or your Alien Registration number.
• Have proof of employment and income if you’re self-employed, a farmer, or a commercial fisher.

To get DUA benefits, all required documentation must be submitted within 21 days from the day the DUA application is filed. DES will work with people who cannot provide all documentation to ensure that their unemployment benefits are not delayed.DUA is available for weeks of unemployment beginning with the week of Sept. 29, and may last for up to 26 weeks, which ends March 29, 2025. Eligibility for DUA is determined weekly, and you must continue to be out of work as a direct result of the disaster each week to get unemployment benefits.  Claims are filed through the DES website at des.nc.gov. If you are not able to file through the website, you can call the DUA Hotline at 919-629-3857 to apply for benefits. A Spanish language DUA hotline is available at 919-276-5698. With Thursday’s announcement, DUA benefits are now available for residents of the following counties: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Nash, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey counties as well as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina.

For more information and an updated list of approved counties, go to des.nc.gov/dua.