South Carolina Unemployment FAQ Sheet

1. What Is Unemployment Insurance?
2. What Are Unemployment Insurance Benefits?
3. How to Qualify for Unemployment Benefits
4. When to Apply for Unemployment
5. How to Apply for South Carolina Unemployment Insurance
6. How Unemployment Insurance Benefit Amounts Are Calculated
7. I Just Applied for Unemployment Insurance. Now What?
8. What Happens After You Are Approved for Unemployment Benefits?
9. How to Appeal a Denial of Unemployment Benefits
10. Need More Help?
11. View or Download Our Free Guide

What Is Unemployment Insurance?

Unemployment Insurance is a benefit program designed to replace part of the income of recently unemployed or underemployed workers. Unemployment Insurance is available to workers who are out of work through no fault of their own.

Learn more about Unemployment on South Carolina’s Unemployment Program Overview page here.

What Are Unemployment Insurance Benefits?

Unemployment Insurance benefits are weekly payments that are given to eligible workers who apply to and are accepted into the program. These payments can be provided via a direct deposit to their bank account.

You can learn more about how Unemployment Insurance payments work here by scrolling to "What are my payment options?"

How to Qualify for Unemployment Benefits

To qualify for Unemployment Insurance in South Carolina, you must:

• Have lost your job due to no fault of your own.
• Be able to work.
• Be actively seeking work.
• Meet South Carolina’s monetary and personal eligibility requirements.

Learn more about South Carolina’s monetary requirements and personal eligibility requirements here.

When to Apply for Unemployment

Apply for benefits online here during the week you are seeking payment, when your hours have been reduced or when you are no longer employed. If possible, do NOT wait until the week is over.

How to Apply for South Carolina Unemployment Insurance

To apply for Unemployment Insurance in South Carolina, complete the following three steps:

1. Gather the documentation related to your previous employment and information youwill need for the application.

Learn what documents and information you need here.

2. Choose how you are going to apply, whether online or in person.

The South Carolina Unemployment Office does not accept claims over the telephone.

To apply for Unemployment Insurance online, click here to access the state portal.

To apply for Unemployment Insurance in person, click here to find your nearest South Carolina Unemployment Office location.

3. Submit the Unemployment application, which is also known as filing a claim.

If you have questions about the application process or require assistance, you can contact the main office at the following lines Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM:

• Main Line Phone: (803) 737-2400
• TelClaim Phone for Claimant self-service: (866) 831-1724
• TTY Relay: 711

How Are Unemployment Insurance Amounts Calculated?

The amount of Unemployment Benefits you receive is based on your past reported earnings by employers that you have worked for in South Carolina. To determine the amount you will receive each week, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) looks at the highest-earning quarter in the applicant’s base period.

The maximum weekly benefit amount is $326.

You can learn more about how the South Carolina DEW calculates your benefit amount here.

I Just Applied for Unemployment Insurance. Now What?

1.     Report Your Waiting Week

The week after you file your unemployment claim is called the Waiting Week. During the Waiting Week, you must file a Weekly Certification Application through the claimant portal here and the Unemployment Office will make sure you are still unemployed or underemployed, and meet all other eligibility requirements. If approved, you will begin receiving your weekly benefits the following week. You are not paid for the Waiting Week, but you do receive a Waiting Week credit.

Learn more about the Waiting Week here. Learn more about the Weekly Certification Application here.

2. Start Looking for Work

Keep track of your work-search contacts. You are required to make at least two contacts per week to receive payments and waiting week credit.

3.     Discuss Possible Issues

If you were discharged or quit your last job, expect a call (or email if that is your preferred contact method) to determine if you are eligible for unemployment insurance.

You can learn more about what to expect after applying here.

What Happens After You Are Approved for Unemployment Benefits?

You must file a Weekly Certification Application every week you are receiving Unemployment Benefits until you are employed again. This weekly claim is like a follow-up application that certifies your continued eligibility for the program, and proves you are actively applying for new jobs.

Learn more about the Weekly Certification Application here. File your Weekly Certification Applications here.

It’s important to remember that you will stop receiving Unemployment Benefits and your Unemployment Claim will be canceled if you have not filed Weekly Certifications for two or more consecutive weeks.

How to Appeal a Denial of Unemployment Benefits

If you do not agree with the benefit determination the Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) gives you, you may file an appeal to challenge the decision within 10 days of receiving your benefit designation letter.

To file an appeal, you can complete a Notice of Appeal form, which you can find download from this page. You can also write your own letter based on the information and instructions found in your Unemployment Benefits designation letter. Whichever you choose, the appeal you send to the DEW must have your signature and Social Security Number (SSN).

After competing your appeal letter or notice form, you can fax it to the DEW at (803) 737-0287 or send it by mail to the following address:

S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce
Appeal Tribunal
P.O. Box 995
Columbia, SC 29202

Remember to continue filing your weekly unemployment claim while you are waiting for your appeal to be processed. If you do not continue to file for Unemployment Insurance, you will not receive benefits for those weeks even if your appeal is approved.

Need More Help?

If you need help with an application or you have any further questions about your claim, you can call the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce at (866) 831-1724 for services in English or (866) 572-3148 for services in Spanish.

The Department of Employment and Workforce customer service line is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM.

You can also visit or call your nearest local office for further assistance. You can find the location nearest you and its contact information here.

View or Download Our Free Guide

While we are not affiliated with the government in any way, our private company engaged writers to research the Unemployment Insurance program and compiled a guide and these answers to frequently asked questions. Our goal is to help you get the benefits that you need by providing useful information on the process.

Our free Unemployment Insurance Guide is filled with helpful information about how to apply, program eligibility requirements and how to get in touch with local offices. You can view our free guide here.