If you're collecting unemployment benefits in South Carolina, filing your initial claim is only the first step. To actually receive payment each week, you must submit a weekly claim — also called a weekly certification — through the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (SC DEW). Missing this step, or answering incorrectly, can delay or stop your benefits entirely.
Here's how the process generally works, what's asked of you, and what factors shape the outcome.
After your initial unemployment claim is approved and a waiting week is served, SC DEW requires you to certify each week that you remain eligible for benefits. This is the weekly claim — a short set of questions you answer to confirm your status for that benefit week.
Think of it as your ongoing check-in with the system. The state doesn't automatically send payments; you have to actively request them week by week by answering a series of questions accurately.
Each weekly claim typically covers questions like:
Your answers to these questions determine whether you receive payment for that week — and how much.
SC DEW processes weekly certifications on a Sunday-through-Saturday benefit week cycle. You can typically file your weekly claim starting the Sunday after your benefit week ends.
📅 Filing on time matters. SC DEW allows a window to certify, but waiting too long — or missing weeks entirely — can result in lost benefits. If you miss a week, you generally cannot go back and claim it after a certain point, though SC DEW may allow you to reopen a claim depending on the circumstances.
Weekly claims are filed through SC DEW's online portal, MyBenefits, which is the primary filing method. Phone-based certification may be available for claimants without internet access.
If you work part-time or pick up any hours during a benefit week, you're still required to report those earnings. South Carolina uses a partial unemployment formula that allows you to earn some wages before benefits are reduced dollar-for-dollar.
Generally, states allow a disregard amount — a portion of earnings that doesn't reduce your benefit. In South Carolina, earnings above that threshold are deducted from your weekly benefit amount (WBA). Failing to report earnings accurately is treated as fraud, which can result in overpayment demands, penalties, and disqualification.
South Carolina requires most claimants to conduct active job searches each week as a condition of receiving benefits. This typically means:
The required number of weekly contacts and what qualifies as an acceptable job search activity can vary. SC DEW may waive work search requirements during periods of high unemployment or for claimants in approved training programs, but this is not automatic.
Failing to conduct a required job search — or falsely certifying that you did — can result in disqualification for that week or longer.
Even if your initial claim was approved, individual weekly certifications can be flagged for review. Common reasons include:
| Situation | Likely Outcome |
|---|---|
| Reported earnings above disregard threshold | Partial benefit payment for that week |
| Failed to report earnings | Potential overpayment and fraud investigation |
| Reported inability to work | Possible ineligibility for that week |
| Refused suitable work | Possible disqualification |
| Missed work search requirement | Possible denial for that week |
| Late certification | Benefits may not be paid for that week |
Flagged weeks go through adjudication — a review process where SC DEW evaluates the facts before issuing a determination.
If SC DEW denies payment for a specific week or penalizes you based on your weekly certification answers, you generally have the right to appeal that decision. South Carolina's appeal process involves written notice of the determination, a deadline to file an appeal, and a hearing process where you can present your side.
Appeal deadlines in South Carolina are strict. Missing them typically means forfeiting your right to challenge that particular determination.
How your weekly claims are processed — and whether you receive full, partial, or no payment — depends on factors specific to your situation:
South Carolina's rules on partial benefits, work search requirements, and acceptable employment contacts have changed over time and may differ from what applied in prior years or what applies in other states.
The details of your weekly certifications — what you earned, whether you searched for work, whether you were available — are what SC DEW uses to decide whether each individual week gets paid. Getting those details right, every week, is what keeps benefits flowing.