MyBenefits
Apply for and certify your claim here.
SUITS, the employer tax system, will be temporarily unavailable on Sunday, December 8, from 12-4 PM due to monthly maintenance. We thank you for your patience.
Disaster Unemployment Assistance Available for Seven Additional Counties
Affected by Hurricane Helene and the Catawba Indian Nation
Columbia, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster and S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce Executive Director William Floyd have announced that individuals living or working in Abbeville, Allendale, Hampton, Jasper, McCormick, Richland, and York counties, as well as the Catawba Indian Nation, now may be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) funds made available through the unemployment insurance benefits system.
These additions now bring the total list of eligible counties up to 23. The full list of previously announced areas and the new counties include: Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Cherokee, Edgefield, Greenville, Greenwood, Hampton, Jasper, Laurens, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Union, and York counties, as well as the Catawba Indian Nation, have been identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as being potentially eligible to receive DUA for the period of September 29, 2024, through April 5, 2025.
The DUA program provides funds to assist people who became unemployed as a direct result of Hurricane Helene, the effects of which began September 25, 2024. DUA is also available to small business owners and the self-employed, including 1099 contract workers, who have lost personal income due to the disaster.
If you lost work or were unemployed as a direct result of Hurricane Helene, then please go to the MyBenefits Portal to apply for unemployment insurance and determine your eligibility for DUA. You can also visit dew.sc.gov and click the MyBenefits Login in the first circle of the homepage to apply through the unemployment insurance benefits system. For help, please call 1-866-831-1724.
The deadline to apply for DUA benefits for the most recently added areas of Abbeville, Allendale, Hampton, Jasper, McCormick, Richland, and York counties, as well as the Catawba Indian Nation, is Monday, December 9, 2024.
Please note that all other counties previously listed still have an application deadline of Monday, December 2, 2024.
Any DUA applications filed after the deadline will be considered untimely and benefits may be denied. Applicants will be required to submit proof about their employment and other documentation to support the claim that they were working or self-employed when the disaster occurred. You will have the ability to upload any documents required in your MyBenefits Portal account under the Documents tab.
Workers or business owners in the eligible counties who meet the following criteria may be eligible to receive a minimum of $150.00 and up to a maximum of $326.00 per week in DUA benefits:
###
The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce is putting South Carolinians to work. The agency has four missions: (1) workforce development; (2) free job match employment services; (3) unemployment insurance; and (4) labor market information. All four missions contribute to workforce development. The agency is dedicated to advancing South Carolina through services and programs that meet the needs of our businesses, jobseekers, and those looking to advance their careers.