How To Apply For Unemployment
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South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce provides Unemployment Insurance benefits to unemployed workers who have lost their job through no fault of their own. The UI program aims to help these workers financially by providing a partial wage replacement throughout the period of unemployment. At the same time the program empowers such workers to find work that is suitable to their skills. There are numerous job trainings available for claimants to learn new skills and improve on the existing ones to look for better paid work. Claimants have to continually look for new work in order to receive benefits through UI program in South Carolina.
The UI program is a nationwide program that was created to fight financial crises in a way that unemployment doesn’t become a financial burden. The program tries to maintain purchasing power for unemployed workers therefore helping individual households and the community on large to sustain financial burden during tough times.
The UI program doesn’t receive any funding from employees. Employers fund the program through tax contributions. Claimants can be approved for UI benefits for a maximum period of 20 weeks in South Carolina.
How To Get Cobra
Group health plans must give covered employees and their families a notice explaining their COBRA rights. Plans must have rules for how COBRA coverage is offered, how beneficiaries may choose to get it and when they can stop coverage. For more COBRA information, see COBRA Premium Subsidy. The page links to information about COBRA including:
Can I File For Unemployment
Any American who is able to legally work in this country and is unemployed through, and I stress, no fault of their own, is able to file for unemployment assistance.
The specific qualifications an unemployed American must meet to be considered eligible for unemployment assistance will differ from state to state, so its important to check with the department responsible for employment-related matters in your state.
Heres what The U.S Department of Labor has to say about eligibility requirements for individuals interested in filing for unemployment assistance:
Each state sets its own unemployment insurance benefits eligibility guidelines, but you usually qualify if you:
- Are unemployed through no fault of your own. In most states, this means you have to have separated from your last job due to a lack of available work.
- Meet work and wage requirements. You must meet your states requirements for wages earned or time worked during an established period of time referred to as a “base period.”
- Meet any additional state requirements.”
Benefits.gov adds, In order to qualify for this benefit program, you must have worked during a specified period, usually in the past 12 to 18 months, and earned a minimum amount of wages as set by each state.
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What Happens When The State Denies Benefits
If the DEW finds your failure to make enough wages in the base period disqualifies you from receiving benefits, you can either request a redetermination or file an appeal. You can request an appeal for this or any other reason. You must do so within 10 days of the disqualification determination.
Read more about appeals at our page on unemployment benefit appeals in South Carolina.
The Last Best Option For Restaurant Staff
Thousands of restaurant workers are out of a job and without a paycheck as more states roll out restaurant-specific COVID-19 restrictions and closures. Unemployment assistance may offer some hope.
The American food and beverage space has gone into free fall as an ever-growing list of localities batten down the hatches and urge the public to self-quarantine and practice social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Sunday, March 15, 2020, The CDC issued a statement recommending the public forego gatherings of 50 or more people over the next eight weeks. In the shadow of this announcement, local governments around the country enacted restrictions on the operations of businesses typically responsible for gatherings of 50 or more: Restaurants, bars, breweries, wineries, and nightclubs.
The following day, in a White House briefing President Trump and members of his administration “urged all Americans to avoid restaurants, bars “ABC News reported.
For the 15.3 million restaurant workers in this country, the decision to restrict or suspend restaurant operations has caused significant financial hardship and strain, especially on front-of-house staff members including cashiers, bussers, hosts, servers, and bartenders.
Unemployment assistance exists to support members of the workforce who have found themselves out of a job due to factors outside their control, like a world-wide pandemic.
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Federal Unemployment Benefits Ending In South Carolina
CHARLESTON, S.C. – South Carolina will be opting out of all federal pandemic programs over the weekend.
Officials say Saturday is the last day of that claim week and starting on Sunday, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce returns to pre-pandemic unemployment operations.
SCDEW says those who are still unemployed after this week, will no longer receive the $300 weekly add-on benefit for Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation.
They say if a person is eligible to move from federal programs to state programs, they will be notified with next steps to take through the MyBenefits portal.
SCDEW says as of last month, the state unemployment rate was 4.6%.
For comparison, last May, that rate was 11.5%. In January of last year, before the pandemic, it was at 2.6%.
SCDEW Chief of Staff Jamie Suber says more jobs are posted right now than theyve seen since 2015.
The demand for labor, the demand for you, is high right now. Lets take advantage of that need, Suber said. In addition, unemployment can only provide a partial wage replacement. A job can provide a lot more than that. Financial stability, and in many cases, medical benefits and retirement options.
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South Carolina Unemployment Application
You must submit your first, or initial, claim in order for DEW to start the process and determine if your circumstances meet eligibility requirements.
You can file this claim online through the MyBenefits portal, which you can access 24 hours a day anywhere there is Internet service including SC Works centers.
If you are filing a first-time claim with MyBenefits, you must create an account. All you will need to start the account is a valid email address.
The other way you can file is at a local SC Works center.
Applying will go fasterif you have the following important information handy:
1. Your Social Security number
2. Your work history for the past 18 months including:
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Do You Meet The Minimum Earnings Requirement
Virtually all states look at your recent work history and earnings during a one-year “base period” to determine your eligibility for unemployment. . In South Carolina , as in most states, the base period is the earliest four of the five complete calendar quarters before you filed your benefits claim. For example, if you filed your claim in October of 2019, the base period would be from June 1, 2018, through May 31, 2019.
During the base period, you must meet all of the following requirements in order to be eligible for unemployment:
- You must have earned at least $1,092 during the highest quarter in your base period.
- Your total wages in the base period must be at least $4,455.
- Your total base period wages must be at least 1.5 times the wages in the highest quarter in your base period.
Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation
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What It Is: $300 weekly add-on benefit for all types of unemployment assistance.
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How It Is Changing: Beginning June 27, 2021, FPUC will no longer be available in South Carolina. Any claims for benefits filed for weeks of unemployment ending prior to June 27, 2021 will include FPUC benefits if an individual is eligible.
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Apply For Pua Benefits
If you are not elegible for regular unemployment, you may be elegible for PUA. The system will present the PUA application questions.
You will answer the following questions regarding your unemployment:
- Is your unemployment a direct result of pandemic?
- Were you working fulltime? If you answer No, you will be required to enter the amount of hours you work and the customary amount for your last occupation.
- Personal Injury Insurance: You answer Yes or No if you are receiving personal injury insurance.
- Date when you first unemployed: You´ll provide the last day you phisically worked.
You must check the acknowledgement box indicating you are applying for PUA benefits. Then, click Next.
Introduction To Unemployment Benefits
Unemployment insurance benefits are an important safety net whose purpose is to tide workers and their families over until they can find other employment. In South Carolina, the weekly benefit amount for claimants depends on the wages earned during one year of work. This can be as high as $326 a week, based on the wages earned during a year of work Benefits can continue for up to 20 weeks if the claimant remains eligible. The approval of a claim for benefits can help a family avoid repossession of car, eviction, or foreclosure and can bring needed stability to family finances.
The purpose of this classroom is to provide the information necessary for workers to effectively represent themselves in the claim and appeal processes.
This video provides a very brief overview of unemployment benefits appeals in South Carolina.
This information is not legal advice. Legal advice is dependent upon the specific facts and circumstances of each situation. The innformation in this classroom cannot replace the advice of a licensed attorney. It is very helpful to be represented by an attorney in an unemployment benefits appeal. If you cannot afford an attorney, South Carolina Legal Services may be able to assist you. You can apply for legal help by calling 346-5592 or online by visiting .
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Eligibility Requirement : Reasons For Unemployment
To qualify for unemployment benefits, you must be out of work through no fault of your own. If you lose your job in a layoff, reduction-in-force , downsizing, or similar job action in which positions are cut for financial or strategic reasons, you will be eligible for benefits.
However, you donât have to be laid off to collect unemployment. You may still be eligible even if you quit your job or you were fired, depending on the circumstances.
If You Quit Your Job
You may not be eligible for benefits in South Carolina if you quit your job voluntarily, without good cause.
If You Were Fired
In South Carolina, you may be disqualified from receiving benefits if you were fired for misconduct relating to your job. If you were fired for cause short of misconduct, a shorter disqualification period will apply.
If You Are Out of Work for Reasons Related to COVID-19
If you have lost your job, faced an hours cut, or otherwise lost paid work because of the coronavirus health care emergency, you may be eligible for benefits. Check the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce website to learn more.
What Is The The Extended Benefits Program In South Carolina
Workers were not eligible for a South Carolina unemployment extension through the Extended Benefits program. This program was also created by the federal government, and it allowed workers to extend their benefits until the program expired. The EB program, like the EUC, required states to meet certain standards before it distributed benefits to its residents. However, as the economy improved, Congress no longer saw a need for the EUC or EB program.
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In light of the Coronavirus outbreak and the widespread precautionary closures affecting businesses, The Department of Labor and state level unemployment insurance agencies have amended their eligibility requirements to meet the immediate needs of those who are out of work.
“COVID-19 update from The Department of Labor: The federal government is allowing new options for states to amend their laws to provide unemployment insurance benefits related to COVID-19. For example, federal law allows states to pay benefits where:
- An employer temporarily ceases operations due to COVID-19, preventing employees from coming to work
- An individual is quarantined with the expectation of returning to work after the quarantine is over and
- An individual leaves employment due to a risk of exposure or infection or to care for a family member.”
Here is the full text of The Department of Labors announcement: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ANNOUNCES NEW GUIDANCE ON UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE FLEXIBILITIES DURING COVID-19 OUTBREAK.
Again, its important to check with the office that handles unemployment insurance in your state to be sure of the amended eligibility requirements in light of COVID-19.
Says USA.gov, Some states provide extended benefits when there’s high unemployment. Extended unemployment insurance benefits last for 13 weeks. You can apply for extended benefits only once you’ve run out of regular benefits. Check with your state not everyone qualifies.
How To Qualify For South Carolina Unemployment Benefits
To meet eligibility requirements, the following must be true in most cases:
- The claimant must be unemployed or working less than full time
- If the claimant is working at some level, she must earn less than the weekly benefit amount
- The claimant must be willing, able, and available to accept suitable work when its offered
- The claimant must confirm eligibility for benefits each week, along with completing two job searches per week, which will need to be entered into the SC Works online portal for each week a claimant wants to receive benefits
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I Have Been Able To Find Part
If you have only been able to find part-time work and have earned less than your weeklybenefit amount, you may still receive benefits. You must report any work done when filingyour weekly claims. You may earn up to one-quarter of your weekly benefit amount with nodeduction in your benefit check. You may also earn benefits if you lose your part time job.
What Do I Need To File For Unemployment
Generally, you will need to provide personal information about yourself like your social security number and information about your previous employer like their business address, your start and end dates, your previous supervisor, and why you are no longer employed at that company. Check with the unemployment insurance agency in your state to find out the specific information eligible claimants need in order to file.
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How Do I Apply For Benefits
As soon as you lose your job, you should go to your local Department of Employment andWorkforce or DEW Office. Look on DEWs website for the application through theMyBenefits Portal. You will fill out an application and may talk to an interviewer who willask questions to see if you qualify. You will need your Social Security number and the namesand addresses of your last employer.The interviewer will also talk to your employer and ask why you are no longer working. Amonetary eligibility decision will mailed to you, followed by a written decision. Theapplication process will probably take about three weeks.
Contacting Your Local Job Center
Local job centers — sometimes called One-Stop Career Centers or American Job Centers –can help you with cover letters, resumes, and job search efforts. Some job centers may provide assistance in filing for unemployment benefits. You may be required to register with a job center as part of your ongoing obligation to look for work while collecting benefits.
Contact your job center to find out about services and availability. Although some job centers provide unemployment services , others offer only job search assistance. And, some centers are closed, have limited hours, or are available only online due to the coronavirus pandemic. Call or email your local job center to find out about their offerings.
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Many Positions Are Still Open
Officials with the DEW say many jobs across the state have not been filled as the calendar turns toward the spring and summer months.
Over the past few months, we have moved our focus to filling the open and posted jobs in the state, Ellzey said in a statement. At this point in time, there are 85,000 jobs posted by employers in the state of South Carolina. Meanwhile, we have approximately 116,000 people receiving unemployment benefits each week. That really does not make sense, and we have to get people to start looking for jobs.
In Myrtle Beach, some Grand Strand businesses said theyve been severely understaffed and they just dont see how a job search requirement will fix it.
Sharon Treffeisen, owner of Hot Tomato in Myrtle Beach, says its been extremely difficult for the business to staff enough workers to meet customer demands.
We pay competitive wages for our hourly employees here but were not getting the opportunity for them to come in and interview because we cant compete with how much money they can get paid to stay at home, depending on their skill level, she said.
Treffeisen questions how the DEWs job search requirement will truly fix their under-staffing issues.
Unless theres some find of follow up from the department of workforce, its not going to do anything, she said. Its just going to increase the amount of people that are coming in for the interviews.
Employees at Dirty Dons Oyster Bar & Grill are having a similar experience.
