Division of Employment Security
Governor Pat McCrory
Secretary of Commerce Sharon Allred Decker
Assistant Secretary Dale R. Folwell
Individual Services
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Browser Information and Settings UI Benefit Application Questions Questions About Online Weekly Certification How to correct your Verification of Immigration Status English or Spanish |
Direct Deposit FAQ Debit Card FAQ Questions About an Existing Claim NC JobConnector FAQs Other Questions |
If you have questions or comments about this website, or wish to report a problem, please contact esc.portal@nccommerce.com.
What secured services are available to individuals?
Secured services provide access to your sensitive claim or wage information. For these
services to be available online, we must ensure through the login process that you are authorized
to access this information. Both interactive and inquiry functions are available. Listed below
are the secured services currently available to our individual customers.
File Your Weekly Certification
File for weekly unemployment benefits online.
View Your Claim Profile
Detailed information about your unemployment claim.
View Your Benefit Payment History
Detailed information about benefits which have been paid to you.
View Form 1099-G
View your 1099 tax information for last year. This web version provides the same information as Form 1099-G mailed to each claimant showing the amount of benefits paid in the previous calendar year.
Change PIN
For security reasons, you may wish to occasionally change your PIN.
What if I forget my PIN or my PIN is revoked?
Contact DES and request that your PIN be reset.
Unemployment Insurance Claim Questions
How do I file a claim for unemployment?
DES provides three methods for individuals to file a claim for unemployment insurance benefits. Please review the following options for the method which best suits your needs. All three options are available for those individuals who are totally separated from their employment, and wish to apply for benefits.
File Online: this option allows claimants to apply for benefits online. You can file for benefits and register for work in as little as 20 minutes.
File by Telephone: DES provides a toll-free number which allows individuals to file for benefits. Customers can call 1-877-841-9617 (toll-free, 24-hours a day, seven days a week) to file an initial claim.
Employers are responsible for filing attached claims for workers on temporary layoff.
I received separation pay (or pay, wages in lieu of notice, vacation pay, etc.). When should I file a claim?
You are not eligible for unemployment insurance benefits for any full week covered by separation pay, vacation pay, etc. (nor may such a week count as your “waiting period week”).
Generally, you should file your claim the first week after the period covered by the payment (if the last week of the payment is not a full week’s pay, you may file that same week,
although you possibly will still be ineligible due to excessive earnings).
Can I review the information I have submitted?
Currently our system does not allow you to review your work registration and claim once it has been submitted. If you entered information incorrectly or omitted pertinent information online, contact DES to provide additional information.
Why can I not update my information online?
If you have filed an unemployment insurance claim in the last 4 weeks, information may not be updated online to avoid erroneous claims processing. Contact DES if information needs to be changed.
How much money can I receive from unemployment?
Estimate Your Potential Benefits Online. Your weekly benefit amount and the number of weeks of entitlement to benefits are based on the wages you were paid and amount of time you worked during your base period. The exact amount of benefits and the duration of those benefits cannot be determined until you actually file your claim for benefits.
What is the “Base Period”?
”Base period” is the term for the time frame used as the basis for determining whether or not you will be monetarily eligible for unemployment. It is normally the first four of the last five calendar quarters. You must have wages in two of the base period quarters to be monetarily eligible.
How much should I take out of my unemployment payments for taxes?
For claims in N.C., the federal amount of tax is 10% and can’t be changed. For N.C. state tax, the N.C. Department of Revenue recommends 6%, 7% or 8%. You may elect a lower amount or contact the N.C. Dept of Revenue with specific questions
at 1-877-252-3052 or 
http://www.dor.state.nc.us/
*If you are not a resident of North Carolina, please contact your state's revenue department.
I would like to receive my UI benefits by Direct Deposit.
Direct Deposit FAQ
I would like to receive my UI benefits by Debit Card.
Debit Card FAQ
Am I eligible to receive benefits?
Potentially eligible claimants must have become unemployed through no fault of their own. All claimants, except those who are still attached to an employer's payroll, must (a) register for work with the Division of Employment Security; (b) file a claim for each calendar week of benefits they request, and (c) actively seek work during any week for which unemployment benefits are claimed. Actively seeking work means doing those things that an unemployed person who wants to work would normally do. Unless otherwise instructed, a claimant must seek work in person on two different days with at least two different employers and must keep a written record of all work search contacts for periodic review by DES.
Claimants who are enrolled in Approved Commission Training may be exempted from these work search requirements.
It says something about a “waiting week” in the claims filing information. What am I waiting on?
The “waiting period week” is the first week you file for and are otherwise eligible. You will never receive payment for this first week. It must be claimed to be counted. It does not mean you should wait a week before you file the claim.
Questions About Online Weekly Certification
What about security?
Industry-standard security is used, including Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption and Verisign Certificate of Authority. For more information on how DES secures your session, see Browser Information and Settings. A couple of things that you can do to safeguard the privacy and integrity of your own information:
- never divulge your PIN to another person
- after completing your filing session, always select the Logout button or completely close your browser program.
Will I still be able to use the JOBS Line?
Absolutely. The same User ID (your Social Security account number) and PIN gives you access to both the JOBS Line and online filing. You can even file your claim online one week, then file using the JOBS Line the next, and vice versa. Regardless of your filing method, you may still use the JOBS Line to hear job openings.
I try to confirm my ID to create a new PIN, but it does not match. Why?
You must enter your last name, date of birth, and sex to confirm your identity and create a new PIN, and the entries must match the information in your DES records. The problem may be the spelling or punctuation of your name-it must exactly match. For instance, if your last name on DES records is "Smith Jr", but you enter "Smith, Jr.", it will not match. If you continue to have a problem, contact DES.
Will I get my payment sooner if I file online?
The processing of payments is exactly the same whether you file online or by telephone, so if you file by telephone the same day as some one else files online, you both should receive your payments at about the same time. However, online filing does not require staggered Monday/Tuesday filing. So if Monday is your telephone filing day, you can file online one day earlier, or two days earlier if your telephone filing day is Tuesday, by submitting your weekly certification online.
Questions About an Existing Claim
How do I file an appeal?
Mail to DES, attn.:Appeals Department, PO Box 25903, Raleigh, NC27611 or by email to esc.public.appeals@nccommerce.com. Appeals to Commission decisions must be filed via a petition for judicial review the Clerk of the Superior Court. The Commission must be served with copy of such petition.
Can you explain the appeals process?
Either the claimant or the employer may appeal the nonmonetary determination and request a formal hearing. Information about the time and date of the appeals hearing and the appeals process itself is mailed to each interested party well in advance of the scheduled hearing.
Interested parties may bring documents related to the case and witnesses to the appeals hearing.
All interested parties should attend the appeals hearing regardless of the outcome of the nonmonetary determination. The Appeals Referee's decision, which replaces the previously issued nonmonetary determination, is based solely on sworn testimony and evidence presented at the appeals hearing.
Either party may appeal the Appeals Referee's decision to the Division of Employment Security. Although DES will not allow any new evidence or testimony to be introduced into the record, it may allow interested parties to make oral arguments. Normally, DES will issue a decision that either affirms or reverses the Appeals Referee's decision. However, DES may, on occasion, remand a case back to the Appeals Referee for additional testimony and/or a new decision.
A Commission decision becomes final in 30 days unless an interested party files a petition for judicial review in Superior Court.
For additional information about the adjudication, hearing and review processes, please read the "Procedures for Appealing an Adjudicator's Determination" and "Procedures for Appealing Decisions by the Appeals Referee and Division of Employment Security" pamphlets. If you have questions call the Adjudication Unit at (919) 707-1367, Appeals Department at (919) 707-1060, or the Legal Department at (919) 707-1025.
What should I do if my unemployment payment is late?
View Your Benefit Payment History online or call the DES JOBS Line. You should allow 48 hours if you file your continued claims by telephone or 5 days if your employer files your claim(s) for you or you file by mail before checking the status of your claim.
Note: If you are eligible to receive a payment and it does not arrive within 14 days from the date you filed the claim, notify DES.
If you have not found what you are looking for on this page, please check our other FAQs for more information. Or contact DES for further assistance.
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