March 29, 2020 at 2:34 PM EDT – Updated March 29 at 2:35 PM
RALEIGH, N.C. (WECT) – Governor Roy Cooper announced Sunday that the first payments for unemployment claims related to losses due to the coronavirus will start going out this week.
Over the past two weeks, there have been approximately 270,000 claims filed. It is largely related to coronavirus. The governor’s office says the first two weeks of March only brought 7,500 claims for unemployment, which shows how significant of an increase this situation has been for the Division of Employment Security.
While the first claims will be paid out, the situation continues to evolve. The state is in the process of implementing the guidance from the federal government’s stimulus bill that passed Friday, which allows for an additional $600 in benefits. Those payments are expected to start roughly two weeks after the guidance is provided sometime this week.
The state released reminds all those applying for benefits that they must complete weekly certifications in order to keep receiving the payments.
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