South Carolina Unemployment Insurance

South Carolina Unemployment Insurance (UI) provides temporary financial assistance to eligible workers who lost their job through no fault of their own.

Each state sets its own guidelines for eligibility for UI benefits, but you usually qualify if you:

1. have lost a job through no fault of your own;
2. are unemployed or partially unemployed for reasons permissible under federal law;
3. are “able to work, available to work, and actively seeking work;” and
4. have earned at least a certain amount of money during a “base period” prior to becoming unemployed. In most states, this is usually the first 4 out of the last 5 completed calendar quarters prior to the time that your claim is filed.

According to the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce, to be monetarily eligible for benefits in South Carolina, you must have earned a minimum amount of wages in a recent ‘base period’ and must have, prior to filing a claim:¹

1. earned at least $4,455 in wages in the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters, AND
2. at least $1,092 in the highest quarter, AND
3. total base period earnings of not less than 1.5 times the earnings in the highest quarter.

For example, if your highest-paid quarter was $4,000, your total wages must be at least $6,000 ($4,000 × 1.5) during the base period.

How much unemployment benefits can I get in South Carolina?

Depending on how much you have earned in your base period, you may receive between $42 and $350 per week for a maximum of 20 weeks of unemployment benefits per year.¹

When do unemployment benefits run out in South Carolina?

Benefits end after 20 weeks of payments or at the close of the benefit year, whichever comes first. Extended benefits may add weeks only during periods of high unemployment.

How do I file for unemployment in South Carolina?

Initial claims and weekly certifications can be filed online through MyBenefits  or by phone using the Telclaim number at (866) 831-1724.

Within two weeks of submitting your initial claim, you must register for work on SC Works Online Services  and conduct at least two verifiable job searches per week to remain eligible.

South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce
Customer Service Phone
(866) 831-1724