On October 16, 2024, Gov. Cooper issued an executive order to increase the maximum calculable amount of weekly unemployment payments to North Carolina residents.  Previously, the amount was capped at $250 per week.  The executive order increases that maximum calculable amount to $600 per week.

While federal law requires this change to go into effect for all unemployment claims across North Carolina, around 80% of unemployment claims filed at the time of the executive order were being made from residents of counties adversely affected by Hurricane Helene.  That percentage likely understates the true impact of Helene, as twelve other counties and one Indian tribe have since been approved for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA).

State unemployment benefits are capped at 12 weeks; however, workers who lived or worked in the impacted North Carolina counties that remain out of work due to Helene can qualify for up to 26 weeks of federal benefits (through March 29, 2025).  Benefits for eligible claimants can be obtained retroactively back to September 29, 2024.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for benefits under the DUA program, people and/or business owners must meet one of the following criteria:

• No longer have the job that provided their primary source of income
• Unable to reach their place of unemployment
• Unable to work due to an injury caused by the storm
• 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 supplier of household income

Comparison to Other States

North Carolina's prior maximum calculable unemployment benefit of $250 ranked 42nd in the nation, and had not been changed since 2013.  The executive order leaves the $600 maximum calculable unemployment benefit in place indefinitely, though it can be increased or decreased with a subsequent executive order.Conversely, North Carolina's Unemployment Trust Fund - the fund from which these unemployment claims are paid out of - had over $4.8 billion in its balance at the time of the executive order.  This balance put North Carolina at the second highest unemployment trust fund in the nation.

Other Information Concerning Relief from Hurricane Helene

IRS Extensions

Taxability of Disaster Relief Payments

Waiver of Dyed Diesel Regulations (now expired)