South Carolina Unemployment Benefits 2026: Amount, Eligibility & How to Apply
Laid off in South Carolina? What the state pays, who qualifies, how to file with the SC DEW, and what to do if you're denied. Benefit amounts, deadlines, and eligibility rules on this page are verified against official SC DEW sources.
Last verified Sep 8, 2026
How much is South Carolina unemployment, and how do you file?
South Carolina pays $42 to $350 per week for up to 20 weeks in a benefit year, based on what you earned in your base period — not on what you were earning the day you were laid off. SC DEW divides the wages from your highest-earning base-period quarter by 26. That works out to about half the average weekly wage you were making in your best quarter, and it becomes your weekly benefit amount (WBA).
File online with the SC DEW as soon as you have worked your last day. There is a waiting week, so the first week you claim is not the first week you are paid. Expect roughly two to three weeks from filing to your first deposit, because the unpaid waiting week has to be served first and DEW has to resolve any separation issue with your employer. Once payments start, they generally post within a few business days of each accepted weekly certification.
- Estimated time
- 20–40 minutes to file
- Weekly benefit
- $42 to $350 per week
- What you need
- ID, last employer's details, work dates, bank details
File your South Carolina claim
Apply through the official SC DEW system — filing anywhere else is either a copy of the same form or a scam. Generally file in the state where you performed the work. If you worked across state lines or recently moved, interstate or combined-wage options may apply.
- SC DEW Claimant Assistance
- 1-866-831-1724
- When to file
- File as soon as you are out of work or your hours are cut — filing a claim is the only way SC DEW can determine whether you are eligible. Do not wait for a severance check, a separation letter, or your final paycheck.
Quick facts: South Carolina unemployment benefits (2026)
Structured reference fields. Amounts and exact rules change over time and vary by your situation — every sourced row links to the official SC DEW page it was read from.
South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce
$350 per week maximum (range $42–$350, effective Jan 1, 2026), based on your base-period wages.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SC DEWUp to 20 weeks — 20 weeks is the ceiling, and your total is capped at the lesser of 20 times your weekly amount or one-third of your base-period wages, so the base-period-wage cap can leave you with fewer weeks
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SC DEWSouth Carolina makes you serve one unpaid waiting week. You still have to certify for that week and meet every requirement — you simply are not paid for it.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SC DEWWeekly. You certify one week at a time. The claim week runs Sunday through Saturday, and the certification window for it opens the following Sunday and stays open for six days. Certify in the MyBenefits Portal or the SC DEW mobile app, and complete your two SCWOS work searches within that same window.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SC DEWYes. You must have an active SC Works Online Services (SCWOS) account tied to your Social Security number and complete two work searches in it every week, on top of certifying your claim in the MyBenefits portal.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SC DEW10 calendar days from the mailing date printed on the determination
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SC DEWUnemployment benefits are taxable for federal purposes, and South Carolina taxes them too — the SC1040 starts from your federal adjusted gross income and there is no state subtraction for unemployment compensation. You can elect to have 10 percent withheld for federal tax when you file or from your MyBenefits account. SC DEW posts Form 1099-G to your mailing address and your portal in late January.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SC DEWWhen your employer takes you off the payroll for any reason, South Carolina law requires all wages due to be paid within 48 hours of the separation or by the next regular payday, which cannot be more than 30 days out (S.C. Code § 41-10-50).
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SC DEWSouth Carolina does not require a vacation or PTO payout on its own. State law defines wages to include vacation, holiday, and sick pay that is due under the employer's policy or your contract — so you get it only if the written policy promises it.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SC DEWSouth Carolina has no mini-WARN act, so the federal WARN Act is what applies — generally 60 days' written notice of a plant closing or mass layoff at employers with 100 or more employees. A narrow state provision does require an employer that demands notice from quitting employees to give comparable notice of a shutdown or relocation.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SC DEWSep 8, 2026
Who qualifies for unemployment in South Carolina?
South Carolina looks at three separate things: whether you earned enough during the base period, why the job ended, and whether you are able to work and available for work each week you claim. A layoff settles the second question — the wage test and the weekly able-and-available test are where claims usually stall.
1. You earned enough during the base period
To qualify on wages, all three of the following must be true:
- You have at least $1,092 in covered employment during the highest quarter of your base period.
- You earned at least $4,455 from covered employment across the whole base period.
- Your total base-period wages equal or exceed 1.5 times your high-quarter wages — the rule that requires earnings spread across more than one quarter.
What is the "base period"?
Your standard base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the date your claim starts.
In plain terms: SC DEW skips the quarter you are in and the one just before it, then measures the four quarters before that. A claim filed in September 2026 is built on wages from April 2025 through March 2026, so a recent raise or a job you started this spring may not raise your weekly amount at all.
Alternate base period
Yes. If you do not qualify on the standard base period, SC DEW automatically tests the alternate base period — the four most recently completed calendar quarters, which pulls in the lag quarter. You do not apply for it separately; DEW decides which base period your claim falls under when it reviews your application.
2. You lost the job through no fault of your own
You must be out of work through no fault of your own. A layoff, a plant closing, or a reduction in hours qualifies. A discharge for misconduct connected to the work can disqualify you, and quitting qualifies only if you had good cause attributable to the employer. SC DEW takes statements from you and your former employer before deciding.
A layoff, a position elimination, and a reduction in force all sit squarely inside this test. If your employer contests the claim and calls it something else, that dispute is decided in the appeal process below — not by whichever word appears on your separation paperwork. The distinction matters enough to be worth understanding before the hearing: laid off vs fired, and why the label changes your claim.
3. You are able to work and available for work
Every week you certify, you must be physically and mentally able to work, available to accept suitable work, and actively looking for it. Travel, illness, a lack of child care, or anything else that would stop you from starting a job that week has to be reported on the certification.
How much will you get? Amounts and duration
South Carolina does not pay a flat rate. Your weekly amount comes out of a formula applied to your base-period wages, then it is capped.
Weekly minimum
$42
Weekly maximum
$350
as of Jan 1, 2026
Maximum duration
20 weeks
How your weekly amount is calculated
SC DEW divides the wages from your highest-earning base-period quarter by 26. That works out to about half the average weekly wage you were making in your best quarter, and it becomes your weekly benefit amount (WBA).
South Carolina caps regular benefits at 20 weeks. Your maximum benefit amount is the lesser of 20 times your weekly benefit amount or one-third of your total base-period wages, so 20 weeks is a ceiling rather than a promise — a claimant whose wages were concentrated in the best quarter can be limited to well under 20 payable weeks by the base-period-wage cap.
Worked example
If your best base-period quarter was $6,500, your weekly amount is $6,500 ÷ 26 = $250. Twenty weeks at $250 would be $5,000, but the total is also capped at one-third of your base-period wages: with $12,000 in total base-period wages, the cap is $4,000, or about 16 weeks. Only with total base-period wages of $15,000 or more does the $5,000 figure — the full 20 weeks — survive that test.
South Carolina unemployment estimator
Rough estimate only. It applies the state's published formula, minimum and maximum to the wages you enter; the state agency's monetary determination sets your actual amount.
Only the states with a dependents allowance use this, and each defines a dependent narrowly (usually a child you mainly support, sometimes a non-working spouse) — not every household member. South Carolina pays no dependents allowance.
Alabama (ADOL): $45 to $275 a week, for up to 14 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of the average of the two highest base-period quarters. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 1/3 of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Alaska (AK DOLWD): $56 to $370 a week, up to $442 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Table: roughly 0.9%-2.2% of total base-period wages (statutory schedule), plus $24 per dependent (up to 3). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $50 plus 25% of wages over $50 disregarded. Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
Arizona (AZ DES): $229 to $320 a week, for up to 24 weeks. Formula: 1/25 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $160.49 disregarded (2026), then $ for $.
Arkansas (ADWS): $81 to $451 a week, for up to 12 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of the average of the four base-period quarters (i.e., ~1/104 of BPW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 40% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
California (EDD): $40 to $450 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Statutory table: approximately 1/23 to 1/26 of high-quarter wages (sliding). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Greater of $25 or 25% of wages disregarded, then $ for $.
Colorado (CDLE): $25 to $804 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Higher of (a) 60% of 1/26 of wages in the two highest consecutive quarters (capped at 50% of state AWW) or (b) 50% of 1/52 of BPW (capped at 55% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 50% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $ (Colorado 2024 law: 50% of WBA).
Connecticut (CT DOL): $44 to $721 a week, up to $796 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of the average of the two highest quarters, plus $15 per dependent (up to 5, capped at 75% of WBA). Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: 1/3 of gross wages disregarded, then $ for $ (2024 change; includes holiday pay).
Delaware (DE DOL): $20 to $450 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/46 of total wages in the two highest quarters. Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: Greater of $10 or 50% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
District of Columbia (DOES): $50 to $444 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 1/3 of wages plus $50 disregarded, then $ for $.
Florida (FloridaCommerce): $32 to $275 a week, for up to 12 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 8 x federal minimum wage ($58) disregarded, then $ for $.
Georgia (GDOL): $55 to $365 a week, for up to 14 weeks. Formula: Sum of the two highest base-period quarters divided by 42; the statutory alternate (highest quarter / 21) applies only when the regular monetary test fails. Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: $50 disregarded, then $ for $ (excludes jury pay).
Hawaii (DLIR): $5 to $868 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/21 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $150 disregarded, then $ for $.
Idaho (IDOL): $72 to $624 a week, for up to 21 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 50% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Illinois (IDES): $51 to $628 a week, up to $859 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 47% of the claimant's average weekly wage in the two highest quarters (= 0.47 x sum of 2 HQ / 26); plus 9% for a nonworking spouse or 17.3% for dependent child (of prior-2-HQ AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 50% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Indiana (IN DWD): $37 to $390 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 47% of average weekly wage in the base period (BPW/52 x 0.47). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Flat $100 disregarded, then $ for $.
Iowa (IWD): $96 to $644 a week, up to $790 with dependents, for up to 16 weeks. Formula: 1/23 of high-quarter wages (0 dependents); 1/22 (1), 1/21 (2), 1/20 (3), 1/19 (4+); caps = 53%-65% of state AWW. Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $ (excludes jury pay).
Kansas (KDOL): $165 to $663 a week, for up to 16 weeks. Formula: 4.25% of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Kentucky (KCC): $39 to $746 a week, for up to 16 weeks. Formula: 1.1923% of total base-period wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 20% of wages disregarded, then $ for $.
Louisiana (LWC): $35 to $282 a week, for up to 12 weeks. Formula: 1/25 of the average of the four base-period quarters, capped. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Lesser of 50% of WBA or $50 disregarded, then $ for $. Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
Maine (MDOL): $108 to $623 a week, up to $1,090 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/22 of the average of the two highest quarters, plus $25 per dependent (capped at 75% of WBA). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: First $123 disregarded, then $ for $ (as of June 1, 2025). Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
Maryland (MD DOL): $50 to $430 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Statutory table ~1/24 of high-quarter wages, plus $8 per dependent (up to 5) not to exceed the max. Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: $50 disregarded, then $ for $.
Massachusetts (DUA): $60 to $1,105 a week, up to $1,657 with dependents, for up to 30 weeks. Formula: 50% of average weekly wage (2 highest quarters / 26, or HQ/13 if wages in 2 or fewer quarters), plus $25 per dependent child (dependency allowance capped at 50% of WBA). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 1/3 of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Michigan (UIA): $218 to $530 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 4.1% of high-quarter wages, plus $19.33 per dependent (up to 5); rising to $614 max and $26/dependent on Jan 1, 2027 (PA 2024). Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: WBA reduced 50 cents per $1 earned; wages plus benefits cannot exceed 1.5 x WBA.
Minnesota (DEED): $37 to $948 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Higher of 50% of average weekly wage in the base period (cap 66 2/3% of state AWW = $948) or 50% of average weekly wage in the high quarter (cap 43% of state AWW = $611). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: WBA reduced 50 cents for each $1 earned (excludes jury/National Guard/volunteer firefighter pay).
Mississippi (MDES): $30 to $235 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $40 disregarded, then $ for $.
Missouri (MO DES): $35 to $320 a week, for up to 20 weeks. Formula: 4% of the average of the two highest quarters. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Greater of 20% of WBA or $20 disregarded, then $ for $ (disregard excludes termination/severance pay).
Montana (MT DLI): $238 to $805 a week, for up to 24 weeks. Formula: 1% of total base-period wages, or 1.9% of wages in the two highest quarters, whichever is greater. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $. Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
Nebraska (NDOL): $70 to $582 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/2 of average weekly wage in the high quarter (= HQ/26). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Nevada (DETR): $16 to $631 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/25 of high-quarter wages (cap 50% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 1/3 of wages disregarded, then $ for $. Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
New Hampshire (NHES): $32 to $427 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Statutory table: about 1%-1.1% of annual (base-period) wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 30% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
New Jersey (NJDOL): $186 to $905 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 60% of the claimant's average weekly wage, plus dependency allowance (7% for first dependent, 4% each for next two; max 15%), capped at 57% of state AWW. Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: Greater of 20% of WBA or $5 disregarded, then $ for $.
New Mexico (NMDWS): $116 to $624 a week, up to $674 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 53.5% of the average weekly wage in the high quarter (0.535 x HQ/13), plus $25 per dependent child (up to 50% of WBA / max 2 per DOL range). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 20% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $ (excludes jury pay).
New York (NYSDOL): $140 to $869 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages (1/25 if high-quarter wages are $3,575 or less). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Hours-based: no reduction for up to 10 hours of work per week if earnings do not exceed the max WBA; benefits reduced in steps (75%/50%/25%) for 11-30 hours worked.
North Carolina (DES): $15 to $350 a week, for up to 12 weeks. Formula: Wages in the last two completed quarters of the base period divided by 52, capped at $350. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 20% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
North Dakota (JSND): $43 to $800 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/65 of the sum of the two highest quarters plus one-half of the third-highest quarter. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 60% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $. Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
Ohio (ODJFS): $176 to $624 a week, up to $842 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 50% of average weekly wage, up to a maximum that depends on dependency class (A: 0 deps, B: 1-2, C: 3+). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 20% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Oklahoma (OESC): $16 to $649 a week, for up to 16 weeks. Formula: 1/23 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $100 disregarded, then $ for $.
Oregon (OED): $211 to $902 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1.25% of total base-period wages (min 15% / max 64% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Greater of 1/3 of WBA or 10 x state minimum wage (~$163) disregarded, then $ for $.
Pennsylvania (PA L&I): $68 to $605 a week, up to $613 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Statutory rate table: approximately (4% of high-quarter wages + $2) x 0.98 (about 50% of full-time weekly wage), plus $5 for a dependent spouse or child and $3 for a second dependent (max $8). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Greater of $21 or 30% of WBA disregarded (partial benefit credit), then $ for $.
Rhode Island (RI DLT): $82 to $777 a week, up to $971 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 3.85% of the average of the two highest quarters (cap 57.5% of state AWW), plus greater of $15 or 5% of WBA per dependent (up to 5). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 50% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
South Carolina (SC DEW): $42 to $350 a week, for up to 20 weeks. Formula: 50% of the average weekly wage in the high quarter (= HQ/26), capped. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
South Dakota (SD DLR): $28 to $575 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 1/4 of wages over $25 disregarded, then $ for $.
Tennessee (TDLWD): $55 to $325 a week, for up to 12 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of the average of the two highest quarters (statutory table), max $325. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Greater of $50 or 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Texas (TWC): $75 to $605 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/25 of high-quarter wages (cap 47.6% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Greater of $5 or 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Utah (UT DWS): $47 to $806 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages minus $5 (cap 62.5% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 30% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Vermont (VDOL): $94 to $757 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Wages in the two highest quarters divided by 45 (cap 57% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 50% of gross wages disregarded, then $ for $. Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
Virginia (VEC): $160 to $478 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Statutory table: approximately 1/50 of wages in the two highest quarters (max $478 requires $18,900.01 in two quarters). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $100 disregarded (2025 law), then $ for $.
Washington (ESD): $383 to $1,208 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 3.85% of the average of the two highest quarters (min 20% / max 63% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 1/4 of wages over $5 disregarded, then $ for $.
West Virginia (WorkForce WV): $24 to $662 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Wage-class table: 55% of 1/52 of the median wages in the worker's wage class (max frozen at $662 by 2024 legislation). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $60 disregarded, then $ for $.
Wisconsin (WI DWD): $54 to $370 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 4% of high-quarter wages (statutory max $370). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: First $30 disregarded plus 33% of wages over $30; WBA reduced by 67% of earnings above $30.
Wyoming (WY DWS): $48 to $671 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 4% of high-quarter wages (cap 55% of state AWW). Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: 50% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
This is a rough estimate: it applies South Carolina's published formula, minimum and maximum from the same data as this page to the wages you enter, and the SC DEW monetary determination sets your actual amount. Comparing states, or laid off somewhere else? Open the full unemployment benefits estimator
Can you work part-time and get South Carolina unemployment?
Losing hours is not the same as losing the job, and South Carolina pays a reduced benefit either way. If your hours were cut or you have picked up part-time work, you can still draw for that week — the whole thing turns on 25 percent of your weekly benefit amount.
The earnings allowance, and the math above it
You can earn up to 25 percent of your weekly benefit amount in a week with no reduction at all. Everything above that comes off the payment dollar for dollar.
Take 25 percent of your weekly benefit amount as your earnings allowance. Subtract that allowance from your gross earnings for the week, then subtract what is left from your full weekly benefit amount. If your earnings reach 125 percent of your weekly amount, there is no payment for that week.
Worked example
- Weekly benefit amount (WBA)
- $200
- Earnings allowance (25% of WBA)
- $50
- Gross earnings that week
- $120
- Benefit for the week
- $130
On a $200 weekly benefit amount, the first $50 you earn — 25 percent — costs you nothing. The remaining $70 of the $120 comes off dollar for dollar, so $200 becomes $130. Earn $250 or more that week and the payment drops to zero.
What a part-time week does not excuse you from
Report gross earnings before deductions for the week you did the work, not the week you get paid. That includes part-time shifts, temporary and contract work, self-employment, and odd jobs. Unreported earnings surface in SC DEW's wage audits with employers and become an overpayment you have to repay, usually with a penalty.
A reduced payment is still a claimed week, so every other rule applies. You must be able and available for full-time work, complete two SCWOS work searches, and certify on time. A part-time job does not lower the two-search minimum.
Not sure what your weekly benefit amount is yet? The SC DEW determination is the figure that counts — for a rough, salary-based placeholder until it arrives, try the unemployment benefits estimator, then run the numbers above against it.
How to apply for South Carolina unemployment, step by step
Your claim is effective the Sunday of the week you file it, and it opens a 52-week benefit year. SC DEW cannot pay benefits for weeks before the claim starts, so filing late costs you those weeks outright.
Before you start: what you'll need
- Social Security number.
- A valid government-issued photo ID for ID.me identity verification.
- Your work history for the past 18 months — every employer's name, address, and phone number.
- First and last dates you worked for each of those employers, and the reason each job ended.
- Your salary or hourly rate at each job.
- Bank routing and account numbers if you want direct deposit.
- DD Form 214 if you served in the military in the past 18 months.
- SF-50 or SF-8 if you were a federal civilian employee, and your Alien Registration number if you are not a U.S. citizen.
The filing sequence
Create your MyBenefits Portal account and verify with ID.me
Go to the MyBenefits Portal and set up an account. SC DEW verifies your identity through ID.me before it will accept a claim, so budget time for it — a failed or half-finished ID.me check is one of the most common reasons a South Carolina claim stalls at the very first step.
File your initial claim
Complete the new-claim application in MyBenefits, or call 1-866-831-1724 if you cannot file online. Your claim is effective the Sunday of the week you file, so file within the week you become unemployed rather than at the end of the month.
Register in SC Works Online Services
Set up an SCWOS account at jobs.scworks.org using the same Social Security number as your claim. Your two required weekly job searches only count if they are done in the SCWOS account tied to that SSN — searching from a different or duplicate account does not register.
Read your Monetary Determination
SC DEW sends a Monetary Determination roughly a week after you apply, showing your base period, weekly benefit amount, and maximum benefit. It only settles the wage test — it is not a decision that you are eligible, and a separation issue can still be pending behind it.
Serve the waiting week and certify every week
Your first certified week is an unpaid waiting week. Certify for it anyway and meet every requirement, or it does not count as served and your first payable week slides.
Keep certifying weekly and log two work searches
Benefits are paid only for weeks you certified on time with two SCWOS work searches recorded. Missing a week is not something you can quietly make up later.
When the money actually arrives
Expect roughly two to three weeks from filing to your first deposit, because the unpaid waiting week has to be served first and DEW has to resolve any separation issue with your employer. Once payments start, they generally post within a few business days of each accepted weekly certification.
How you get paid
Direct deposit to a U.S. bank account, or a state-issued prepaid debit card. Direct deposit is faster; you set it up in the MyBenefits Portal.
Keeping your benefits: payment requests and work search
Approval is not the finish line. Benefits stop for people who miss the filing window or cannot produce a work-search log, and a missed week is far harder to recover than it is to claim on time.
Request payment weekly
You certify one week at a time. The claim week runs Sunday through Saturday, and the certification window for it opens the following Sunday and stays open for six days. Certify in the MyBenefits Portal or the SC DEW mobile app, and complete your two SCWOS work searches within that same window.
Work search: registration, minimums, and records
Deadline: Register for an SC Works Online Services account at jobs.scworks.org as soon as you file your initial claim — your weekly searches cannot be credited until the account exists and is tied to your Social Security number.
Two work searches every week you claim, recorded inside your SCWOS account. This is a statutory minimum, not a target.
What counts:
- Job searches and job-posting views completed while logged in to your SCWOS account.
- Submitting an application or resume to an employer through SCWOS.
- Interviews and in-person contacts with employers who hire in your field.
- Reemployment services and workshops at an SC Works center.
Do the searches inside SCWOS so the system records them automatically, and keep your own note of employer names, dates, and outcomes. SC DEW audits work-search records, and a search you cannot document can turn into an overpayment you have to repay.
What to do if your South Carolina claim is denied
A denial is a first decision, not a final one. Employers contest claims routinely, and plenty of denials are reversed at the hearing — but only if you appeal inside the window.
Appeal deadline
10 days
You have 10 calendar days from the date SC DEW mails a determination to file an appeal. If the tenth day lands on a weekend or a recognized holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day. Late appeals are dismissed as untimely no matter how strong the underlying case is.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SC DEWHow to file your appeal
- Complete Form APP-100 (Notice of Appeal) or write a signed letter stating that you are appealing and why.
- Mail it to S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, Appeal Tribunal, P.O. Box 995, Columbia, SC 29202.
- Or fax it to the Appeal Tribunal at 803-737-0287.
- Your appeal must carry a handwritten signature — an unsigned submission is not a valid appeal.
What to include
- Your full name and current mailing address.
- Your Claimant ID or Social Security number.
- The date on the determination you are appealing, and a copy of it if you have it.
- A short statement of why the determination is wrong.
- Your handwritten signature.
The hearing, and what comes after
The Appeal Tribunal assigns a hearing officer who takes sworn testimony, usually by telephone. You and your former employer can each present witnesses and documents. A written decision typically follows about 30 to 45 days after you file.
If you disagree with the hearing officer, you have 10 calendar days from the mailing date of that decision to appeal to the DEW Appellate Panel (fax 803-737-3166). The Panel is confined to the record from the first hearing and will not take new evidence, which is why the telephone hearing is the stage that actually decides most cases. After the Panel, review goes to the South Carolina Administrative Law Court within 30 days.
Do not stop filing while you appeal. Keep certifying every week while the appeal is pending, and keep logging your two SCWOS searches. SC DEW pays only for weeks you certified on time — winning an appeal does not recover weeks you never claimed.
Can you get unemployment in South Carolina if you quit?
Quitting is not an automatic no. Every state disqualifies a voluntary quit without good cause; what counts as good cause is where states differ — and good cause only clears the separation question, not the weekly able-available-and-searching requirements.
If you quit: South Carolina's good-cause rule
You must have lost your job through no fault of your own, and leaving for personal reasons unrelated to work is listed as disqualifying. The agency separately says you are eligible if you left as a direct result of domestic violence, and may be eligible for compelling family circumstances: you develop an illness or disability, an immediate family member becomes ill or disabled, or your spouse is transferred or employed in another city or state outside commuting distance.
Two separate hurdles
- Good cause may avoid the separation disqualification for a voluntary quit.
- You must still meet the ongoing requirements every week you claim: able to work, available for work, and actively seeking it, plus the base-period wage or hours test.
Before you quit: For domestic violence, be prepared to provide court records, police reports or documentation from a shelter worker, attorney, clergy member or medical professional.
Reasons the South Carolina page names: Domestic violence or stalking, My own health or disability, Illness, disability or death of a family member, Spouse or partner relocated (civilian job).
Named as not enough on their own: Unhappy with the job, manager or pay.
Quitting makes a claim harder, not impossible. File anyway — the agency decides.
Source: S.C. Code § 41-35-125 · last verified 2026-09-07
Severance, final pay, and PTO in South Carolina
These three decide when your unemployment money starts and how much cash you have to bridge the gap. They are separate rules and they interact.
How severance affects your claim
South Carolina's claimant handbook does not promise that severance is ignored: it tells you to report any separation payment when you file your weekly claim, and says DEW may contact you to determine whether the pay is deductible. Employers report separation pay for the period it covers. In practice many severance packages do not reduce benefits, but that is DEW's determination to make, so report the payment and keep the decision letter.
Report it either way. An unreported payment that the agency finds later becomes an overpayment you have to pay back, sometimes with a penalty — a far worse outcome than a delayed start. For how the two interact in general, and how timing a severance payment changes it, see severance and unemployment.
Final paycheck timing
When your employer takes you off the payroll for any reason, South Carolina law requires all wages due to be paid within 48 hours of the separation or by the next regular payday, which cannot be more than 30 days out (S.C. Code § 41-10-50).
Check the figure before you cash it — unpaid commission, an expense reimbursement, or a promised bonus is easiest to raise while the separation is still fresh. The final paycheck calculator works out what you should be owed and when it is due.
Unused PTO and vacation
South Carolina does not require a vacation or PTO payout on its own. State law defines wages to include vacation, holiday, and sick pay that is due under the employer's policy or your contract — so you get it only if the written policy promises it.
Layoff notice: WARN and state law
South Carolina has no mini-WARN act, so the federal WARN Act is what applies — generally 60 days' written notice of a plant closing or mass layoff at employers with 100 or more employees. A narrow state provision does require an employer that demands notice from quitting employees to give comparable notice of a shutdown or relocation.
Whether your layoff should have come with notice — and what happens if it did not — is set out in full in the South Carolina WARN Act guide, along with the notices employers have actually filed in the state.
Are South Carolina unemployment benefits taxable?
Federal and state tax both apply
Unemployment benefits are taxable for federal purposes, and South Carolina taxes them too — the SC1040 starts from your federal adjusted gross income and there is no state subtraction for unemployment compensation. You can elect to have 10 percent withheld for federal tax when you file or from your MyBenefits account. SC DEW posts Form 1099-G to your mailing address and your portal in late January.
Benefits arrive with no tax taken out unless you ask for withholding. Choosing 10% federal tax withholding can reduce the chance of an unexpected tax bill, but whether withholding makes sense depends on your individual tax situation — your other income for the year, your filing status, and any credits you expect. Confirm your own situation with a tax professional.
South Carolina unemployment FAQ
Where do I file for unemployment in South Carolina?+
How much unemployment will I get in South Carolina?+
Is there a waiting week for South Carolina unemployment?+
Do I have to look for work to keep benefits in South Carolina?+
Are South Carolina unemployment benefits taxable?+
When do I get my final paycheck and is unused PTO paid out in South Carolina after a layoff?+
Does South Carolina have its own mini-WARN layoff-notice law?+
How long does it take to get South Carolina unemployment benefits?+
What is the base period for South Carolina unemployment?+
What do I do if my South Carolina unemployment claim is denied?+
Does severance pay stop unemployment benefits in South Carolina?+
Can I get unemployment in South Carolina if I was fired or quit?+
How often do I have to certify or request payment in South Carolina?+
Can I work part-time and still get South Carolina unemployment?+
How much can I earn before South Carolina unemployment benefits are reduced?+
What is the maximum South Carolina unemployment benefit in 2026?+
Can you get unemployment in South Carolina if you quit your job?+
Filed your claim? Here's what to do next
Unemployment replaces a fraction of a paycheck. The next hour is better spent on the things that actually decide how long your runway lasts.
Layoff Runway Calculator
Combine your SC benefit, severance, and savings into a months-of-runway number.
Open toolUnemployment Benefits Estimator
Sanity-check the weekly amount before your determination arrives.
Open toolCOBRA vs Marketplace Calculator
Health coverage is the second bill to solve, and COBRA is rarely the cheapest option.
Open toolSeverance Pay Calculator
See what a severance offer is worth before you sign the release.
Open toolOfficial South Carolina sources
Benefit amounts, deadlines, and eligibility rules on this page are verified against official South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce sources. Rules and amounts change — check the source before you rely on a number.
Nearby states
South Carolina WARN noticesRelated resources
Educational content only. LayoffNext does not provide legal, financial, tax, insurance, employment, immigration, unemployment, investment, or mental health advice. Always consult a licensed professional or official government source for guidance specific to your situation.
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