How Much Unemployment Will I Get in SC?

Unemployment insurance provides temporary financial support for individuals in South Carolina who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. These benefits help bridge the gap between unemployment and reemployment, offering a portion of a person’s prior earnings. Your potential benefit amount is determined by several factors, including eligibility criteria, weekly payment calculation, and other elements that can impact the final amount received.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for unemployment benefits in South Carolina, individuals must meet criteria established by the Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW). Your unemployment must be “through no fault of your own,” such as layoffs, reductions in work hours, or company closures. Voluntarily quitting without good cause or being terminated due to misconduct may disqualify an applicant. Misconduct can involve intentional violation of employer rules, failure to meet expected standards, or careless behavior demonstrating disregard for employer interests.

Applicants must also meet monetary eligibility requirements based on past earnings. South Carolina uses a “base period” to assess these earnings, defined as the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. During this period, you must have earned at least $1,092 in your highest earning quarter. Your total wages throughout the base period must be at least $4,455, and at least 1.5 times the wages earned in your highest quarter.

To maintain eligibility, you must be “able and available” for work, meaning you are physically and mentally capable of accepting suitable employment. You must also actively seek new employment each week you claim benefits. This involves completing a minimum of two work searches through the SC Works Online Services (SCWOS) portal weekly. You are expected to accept any suitable job offers.

Calculating Your Weekly Benefit Amount

The weekly benefit amount you receive from unemployment insurance in South Carolina is primarily determined by your past earnings during the established base period. South Carolina’s calculation generally aims to provide approximately 50% of your average weekly wage from your base period, or half of your weekly wage during your highest earning quarter. The resulting weekly benefit amount, if not a multiple of one dollar, is rounded down to the next lower dollar. While the calculation is based on your specific earnings, there are statutory limits on the amount you can receive.

The maximum weekly benefit amount in South Carolina is $350. The minimum weekly benefit amount is $42. If your calculated benefit based on your earnings exceeds the maximum limit, you will receive the cap amount.

Factors Impacting Your Benefit Payments

Once your weekly benefit amount is initially determined, various situations and income sources can affect the net payment you receive. If you engage in part-time work while receiving unemployment benefits, you are permitted to earn up to one-fourth (25%) of your weekly benefit amount without any reduction to your payment. However, any earnings that exceed this 25% threshold will be deducted dollar-for-dollar from your weekly benefit. It is essential to accurately report all gross earnings for the week in which the work was performed, even if payment has not yet been received.

Other forms of income can also influence your unemployment benefits. For instance, receiving Social Security benefits may lead to a reduction in your unemployment compensation, although collecting unemployment does not impact your Social Security payments. Similarly, receiving workers’ compensation benefits may affect your eligibility for or the amount of unemployment benefits, as these are both forms of income replacement. Specific rules govern how these benefits interact, and they can vary.

Furthermore, if you have child support obligations, these amounts can be deducted directly from your unemployment benefits. The DEW is authorized to withhold specified amounts from your weekly payment and remit them to the appropriate child support enforcement agency. These deductions are treated as if you received the full unemployment benefit and then paid your child support obligation.

Benefit Duration and Maximums

The duration for which an individual can receive unemployment benefits in South Carolina is generally set at a maximum of 20 weeks. This period represents the typical length of time benefits are available to eligible claimants. It is important to continuously meet all eligibility requirements, including actively seeking work, throughout this duration to continue receiving payments.

When you file an initial claim, a “benefit year” is established, which typically spans 52 weeks from the effective date of your claim. During this 52-week benefit year, you may receive your weekly benefit amount for each week you are eligible, up to the maximum number of weeks or until your total maximum benefit amount has been paid out, whichever comes first. If you exhaust your maximum benefit amount before the end of your benefit year, you must wait until that year concludes before you can file a new initial claim for benefits.