Unemployment Insurance (South Carolina DEW)

If you lost your job through no fault of your own, file your South Carolina unemployment claim through the MyBenefits portal at scuihub.dew.sc.gov, which also handles your weekly certifications. Applying establishes an active account for a 52-week benefit year. The weekly benefit runs from a $42 minimum to a maximum of $350, generally 50 percent of your average weekly wage during the high quarter of your base period.

Duration is shorter than the national norm, so plan for it. The maximum total is the lesser of 20 times your weekly amount or one-third of your base-period wages, which works out to up to 20 weeks, not the 26 many states offer.

You need enough recent work to qualify: at least $4,455 in covered employment during your base period, work in at least two quarters, and at least $1,092 in one quarter. You also must be able to work, available, and actively seeking work each week.

The routine has two parts that trip people. There is an unpaid waiting period equal to one full week of benefits before any payment is made. And you must complete at least two job searches each week in SC Works Online Services to keep benefits coming.

Certify on time: submit each week's claim within 14 days of the week's end. If you work part-time and earn less than your weekly amount, earnings above one-quarter of that amount are deducted from that week's check, so a few shifts can still leave you ahead.

A $350 ceiling over 20 weeks does not replace a paycheck, so stack support from week one. SNAP catches many households, and 2-1-1 knows which local funds bridge rent between jobs.