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How to File for Unemployment in South Carolina

South Carolina makes you clear an ID.me identity check before you can even open a MyBenefits account, and once you're approved, state law requires two documented job searches a week through SC Works Online Services just to stay eligible — that's stricter than most neighboring states. One quirk worth knowing: you file where your employer is based, not where you happen to live.

Updated July 2026

What You'll Need

✓ Social Security number ✓ Employer business names, addresses, and phone numbers for the last 18 months ✓ Your salary for each employer ✓ Alien registration number, if not a U.S. citizen ✓ DD-214 (Member 4 copy) or SF-8/SF-50, if applicable
  1. 1

    Collect 18 months of employer records

    Gather each employer's business name, address, phone number, and your salary, along with your Social Security number.

  2. 2

    Create your MyBenefits account and verify with ID.me

    Register at the MyBenefits portal and complete identity verification through ID.me before you can file.

  3. 3

    File your initial claim

    Submit your claim in MyBenefits — remember you apply based on where your employer is located or where you earned wages, not your home address.

  4. 4

    Serve the one-week unpaid waiting period

    No benefits are paid for your first eligible week, but it still counts toward your claim.

  5. 5

    File your weekly certification

    Log into MyBenefits each week to certify and report any income earned.

  6. 6

    Complete two job searches a week in SCWOS

    South Carolina law requires two documented work-search activities logged in SC Works Online Services every week you claim benefits.

File Your Claim

File Online ☎ (866) 831-1724

Verified against the official South Carolina unemployment agency site. View source