Extended Benefits (EB) Program now provides up to 16 weeks of Unemployment Benefits for unemployed South Carolinians

The Department of Employment and Workforce announced today that South Carolina is now eligible to offer an additional six weeks to the Extended Benefits program. This is in addition to the previously announced 10 weeks of EB announced in early July. South Carolina law allows for the additional 6 weeks to be added to the previously announced 10-week program because the unemployment rate for the last three months exceeded 8 percent. This is the last and final extension offered under state law.

In total, the EB program now offers up to 16 weeks of benefits to individuals whose regular UI benefit year ended on or after June 14, 2020. Claimants must have exhausted both their 20 weeks of regular unemployment benefits and 13 weeks of the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program before they can apply for EB. It is to be noted, that eligibility for EB is more stringent than regular UI and PEUC. Please see the EB FAQ link below.

Upon exhaustion of regular UI and PEUC benefits, DEW will notify individuals who are eligible to apply for the new EB program through their MyBenefits portal. If approved for EB, the Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA) will be the same as the individual received for regular UI. If a claimant is currently on EB, they will receive their WBA plus the $600 through Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program through the current expiration date of claim week-ending July 25, 2020, which is this Saturday. Claimants eligible for benefits after July 25, 2020 will only receive their regular Weekly Benefit Amount.

There are several new resources to assist with this application process, including:

•  A video tutorial created for the EB application process.

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HVRpT1bp0A&t=13s 

• A PDF Tutorial created for the EB application process. https://dew.sc.gov/individuals/cares-act
• EB FAQ materials. https://dew.sc.gov/individuals/cares-act

CALL CENTER SCHEDULE (1-866-831-1724)

Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Saturday 8 a.m. – Noon

About the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce

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.