DEW launches Extended Benefits (EB) Program

Additional 10 Weeks of Unemployment Benefits Available to Eligible Individuals

Who Have Exhausted Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation

The Department of Employment and Workforce announced today that South Carolina has begun offering the Extended Benefits (EB) program for those who have exhausted their previous unemployment benefits. Due to the most recent estimated unemployment rate of 12.5 percent, South Carolina is able to access EB funding, offering up to an additional 10 weeks of benefits beginning claim week June 28, 2020 – July 4, 2020.

The EB program offers up to 10 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) assistance. Eligibility for EB is more stringent than regular UI and PEUC. Please see the EB FAQ for more information (link included below).

Upon exhaustion of regular UI and PEUC entitlement, 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 will be the same as the individual received for regular UI plus the $600 through Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program through its expiration date of week-ending July 25, 2020. Claimants can find this amount by looking for the Weekly Benefit Amount on the top of their portal homepage.

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

• A video tutorial created for the EB application process                                                                                                                                
• EB FAQ materials

CALL CENTER SCHEDULE:

June 29-July 2: OPEN 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

July 3- July 4: CLOSED in observance of Independence Day

July 6 – July 10: OPEN 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

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