In North Carolina, claimants are required to file weekly certifications in order to maintain eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits. These certifications are a way for the state to verify that individuals are still eligible to receive UI benefits, meaning that they are able and available to work, actively seeking employment, and have not refused any offers of suitable work.
You should file your weekly certifications the week after applying for NC unemployment. The process includes reporting any earned income during the week, and any changes to your status that could affect eligibility, such as starting a new job or attending school full-time.
How to file your weekly certification for NC unemployment benefits
Weekly certifications must be filed online. But If you don’t have access to the internet, you can call the NC Customer Call Center. You can also access computers at your local NCWorks Career Center.
You can also certify using the NCDES mobile app. The North Carolina Division of Employment Security has published this app on Google Play and the Apple App Store.
During the certification process, you must answer a series of questions to verify your ongoing eligibility for UI benefits.
You will be asked to confirm that you:
- Are able to work
- Are available to work
- Completed your work search requirements and documented employer contact information
You will also be asked to:
- Report any income you earned during the week
- Report any job offers you declined
Work Search Requirement
State law in North Carolina says you need to reach out to at least three different employers each week. Don’t forget to document their contact information. You can also go to an event at an NCWorks Career Center or a similar job search activity that counts as one of your three contacts.
Reporting Income
If you’re collecting North Carolina unemployment benefits and also working, you must declare any income you earn during your weekly certification filing. You’re permitted to earn up to 20% of your weekly benefit amount without incurring any penalty, but any earnings above this will be deducted from your weekly benefits.
Always provide your income details for the week in which you worked, rather than waiting until you receive payment to declare this income. You must report all income, including weekly earnings, retirement benefits, severance pay, and separation pay.
Not reporting income may lead to overpayment of benefits, and you will be required to repay any such overpayments.
You can file a weekly claim even before you receive your eligibility determination.
You have 14 days to file a weekly claim. After that, your unemployment claim will close. Neglecting to file a weekly claim will result in the following consequences:
- You will not receive unemployment compensation for that week
- You will need to reapply for North Carolina unemployment insurance
- You will be obligated to undergo an additional non-payable waiting week
What is a waiting week?
You don’t get paid for the first week that you apply for NC unemployment. This is known as the waiting week. It doesn’t mean that you should wait a week before filing a UI claim. Even though you won’t receive payment for this initial week, you still must file a weekly claim.
Checking the status of your weekly claim
You can check the status of your unemployment claim by logging in to your online DES account or by using the NCDES mobile app.
Receiving payment
Once you have filed your weekly claim, you can expect payment within 48 hours. You can choose to receive your unemployment compensation via direct deposit or debit card.
For direct deposit, you will need your bank’s routing number and your personal bank account number.
If you don’t set up direct deposit, a U.S. Bank ReliaCard will be mailed to you. It should arrive within 10 days.
You can change your preferred method of payment by logging in to your DES online account.
How to close your claim
When you find a new job, you can simply stop filing your NC weekly claims. To prevent an overpayment and issues with NC unemployment fraud, it is recommended that you inform the DES about your new job.
To report your return to work, call 888-737-0259.
Comments are closed.