What is the maximum unemployment benefit in South Carolina?

$350 a week as of July 1, 2026; the minimum is $42.

How many weeks of unemployment can you get in South Carolina?

Up to 20 weeks (13-20 weeks depending on base-period wages).

Does South Carolina have a waiting week for unemployment?

Yes. The first eligible week is an unpaid waiting week.

Should I file for unemployment before I sign a severance agreement in South Carolina?

File as soon as you are out of work, even if you received or expect severance, and report it when asked. Most states pay only from the week you file, and the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce decides how severance counts. Ask the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce before you sign.

How do I file for unemployment in South Carolina?

File an initial claim with the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce at https://dew.sc.gov/individuals/applying-benefits. File the first week you are out of work, then request payment every week or every two weeks on the schedule the agency gives you.

What do I need to file for unemployment in South Carolina?

Your Social Security number; A driver’s license or state ID; Names, addresses and dates of work for your recent employers (many states ask for the last 18 months; your agency says how far back); The reason each job ended, and your last day worked.

How long do I have to appeal an unemployment denial in South Carolina?

In South Carolina you have 10 calendar days from the date the notice was mailed to appeal a denial. The deadline printed on your own notice controls.

South Carolina unemployment benefits and severance: amount, weeks and how to file

In South Carolina, unemployment benefits last up to 20 weeks and pay up to $350 a week (as of July 1, 2026). There is an unpaid waiting week, and you file with the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce. Severance depends on how it is paid in South Carolina.

Just got laid off? Do not spend week one guessing.

Answer a few questions and get a plan that starts with the deadlines that cost people money: filing for unemployment, severance and health coverage. Free. No résumé needed.

Already a member? Log in

Get my laid-off game plan

By Justin KullaLast updated October 29, 2026

Last verified October 6, 2026 against official sources.

File a claim with the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce →

Does severance affect unemployment in South Carolina?

Depends on how it is paid

Whether severance affects your benefits depends on how the payment is structured and what the agreement says.

South Carolina’s rule: South Carolina DEW's claimant handbook (as of 9/3/2025) says the agency may contact you for details to determine whether your separation pay is deductible.source, October 6, 2026

Either way, file as soon as you are out of work and report any severance when asked: the agency decides how it counts. See how all 50 states and DC treat severance and severance pay: taxes, negotiating and the agreement.

South Carolina benefits at a glance

South Carolina unemployment insurance facts, with sources
Maximum weekly benefit	$350source, July 1, 2026
Minimum weekly benefit	$42source, July 1, 2026
Maximum weeks of benefits	20 weeks (13-20 weeks depending on base-period wages)source, July 1, 2026
Weeks depend on the state unemployment rate	Nosource, July 1, 2026
Unpaid waiting week	Yessource, October 6, 2026
Severance pay	South Carolina DEW's claimant handbook (as of 9/3/2025) says the agency may contact you for details to determine whether your separation pay is deductible.source, October 6, 2026
Pay in lieu of notice	Check with the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce
Work-search requirement	Claimants must complete at least 2 work search activities per week. Limitations or specific requirements apply. Registering with employment services, using reemployment services, attending a job-seeking workshop, or taking part in job search activities may count. South Carolina requires 2 contacts through the state system.source, January 1, 2023
Extended benefits	Not available nowsource, October 4, 2026
How to file	the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce source, October 6, 2026

Weekly amounts exclude dependents’ allowances. Severance, pay in lieu of notice and work-search entries dated January 1, 2023 come from the Department of Labor’s latest Comparison of State UI Laws, which reflects state law on that date; confirm them with the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.

How to file for unemployment in South Carolina, step by step

Gather what you need (the list below) before you start, so the form does not time out.
File an initial claim with the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce. File the first week you are out of work; most states pay only from the week you file. Open South Carolina’s filing page
Expect one unpaid waiting week. South Carolina does not pay the first eligible week, so filing early starts that week sooner.
Request payment every week or every two weeks. Filing the claim does not pay you. You report that you are still out of work and looking, on the schedule the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce gives you, or that week is not paid.
Meet the work-search rule. Claimants must complete at least 2 work search activities per week. Limitations or specific requirements apply. Registering with employment services, using reemployment services, attending a job-seeking workshop, or taking part in job search activities may count. South Carolina requires 2 contacts through the state system.
Read every notice that arrives. The agency’s decision on your claim comes by mail or online, and the appeal clock starts on it (below).

What to have ready before you file in South Carolina

Your Social Security number
A driver’s license or state ID
Names, addresses and dates of work for your recent employers (many states ask for the last 18 months; your agency says how far back)
The reason each job ended, and your last day worked
Bank account and routing numbers if you want direct deposit
If you are not a U.S. citizen, your work authorization number

The form is the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce’s own; this list is what state claim forms commonly ask. See also CareerOneStop’s unemployment benefits finder.

If your South Carolina claim is denied: the appeal deadline

10 calendar days from the date the notice was mailed.

That is the published figure for a claimant’s first appeal. The date printed on your own notice controls, so use it if it differs, and file on the first day you can: a late appeal is usually refused. Most agencies say to keep requesting payment every week while an appeal is pending; ask the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Comparison of State Unemployment Insurance Laws, Table 7-2, state law as of January 1, 2023. source.

After you file: what actually works in a job search

Your first 60 days in South Carolina

Four clocks start when you lose your job. In the order you will meet them:

This week: file for unemployment. Most states pay only from the week you file, even if you got severance. South Carolina has an unpaid waiting week, so the sooner you file the sooner it starts. File with the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce
Before you sign a severance agreement: read the clock on it. If you are 40 or older, a release of age-discrimination claims must give you at least 21 days to consider it (45 days if it is part of a group layoff program) and 7 days to change your mind after you sign. See the agreement rules.
Within 60 days: choose health coverage. You have 60 days to elect COBRA and 60 days to join a Marketplace plan. Severance and unemployment pay count as income for any Marketplace credit. COBRA vs ACA in South Carolina.
Check whether you were owed notice. Employers with 100 or more employees must give 60 days’ written notice of a plant closing or mass layoff. See the WARN Act checker.

Taxes: unemployment benefits are taxable income and severance has tax withheld. See what a severance leaves after withholding.

Severance and pay in lieu of notice in South Carolina

Severance pay: South Carolina DEW's claimant handbook (as of 9/3/2025) says the agency may contact you for details to determine whether your separation pay is deductible.

Pay in lieu of notice (including WARN Act pay): Check with the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.

File as soon as you are out of work even if you received severance. The agency decides how payments affect your claim, and most states pay only from the week you file.

Local workforce boards in South Carolina

Public workforce boards run American Job Centers, which offer free help with job search, training and benefits.

Get the dates in your inbox

If you’re a laid-off professional

Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, Significant Provisions of State Unemployment Insurance Laws and Comparison of State Unemployment Insurance Laws, the DOL Extended Benefits trigger notice, and the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce. Where official sources disagree or a figure could not be confirmed, this page says to check with the agency rather than estimate. Rules change; the agency’s decision on your claim is what counts. See our editorial standards.