South Carolina unemployment in 2026: 20 weeks at most, $350 a week at most
South Carolina replaces half of the weekly wage of your best quarter, between $42 and $350, for no more than 20 weeks.
Unemployment in South Carolina
$250
a week, for up to 20 weeks · $5,000 in all
| Weekly benefit | $250 |
| Weeks payable | 20 weeks |
| Total if you stay unemployed | $5,000 |
| Federal income tax on it, about | $490 |
| 10% federal withholding, if you ask (W-4V) | $25 a week |
| State income tax on it | check your state |
| Your take-home pay now, a week | $443 |
| Share of take-home pay replaced | 56 % before tax |
South Carolina: 50% of HQ avg weekly wage; $42 to $350 a week.
Compiled by Radif Partners · How the estimates are built · state laws and agency pages read October 20, 2026
South Carolina's Department of Employment and Workforce takes the wages of the best quarter in your base period, turns them into a weekly wage by dividing by 13, and pays half of it, with a 2026 minimum of $42 and a maximum of $350. The maximum needs about $9,101 in that quarter, roughly $36,404 a year of even pay, so a large share of full-time workers receive it: $48,000 gives $350 and $26,000 gives $250. The claim lasts at most 20 weeks, fewer than the 26 of most states, and the total cannot exceed a third of base-period wages. At the maximum, a full claim is worth $7,000. The wage tests ask for $4,455 over the base period and $1,092 in its strongest quarter, with the year worth at least one and a half times that quarter. Part-time earnings up to a quarter of the weekly benefit are not deducted.
20 weeks, set in the law
South Carolina caps claims at 20 weeks where most states allow 26, and the DOL summary of state provisions shows that figure as a fixed limit, not one that moves with the unemployment rate as in Georgia or North Carolina. The weekly amount is ordinary by regional standards; the length is what limits the total. $350 for 20 weeks is $7,000, about 77 % of what the same weekly amount would yield in a 26-week state.
The minimum duration in the table is 13 weeks, which is where claims with thin earnings end up once the one-third limit applies.
Your South Carolina benefit
Unemployment in South Carolina
$250
| Weekly benefit | $250 |
| Weeks payable | 20 weeks |
| Total if you stay unemployed | $5,000 |
| Federal income tax on it, about | $490 |
Half of the best quarter's weekly wage
The formula is short. Divide your best quarter by 13 to get a weekly wage and halve it, which is the same as dividing the quarter by 26. A best quarter of $6,500 gives $250. Once that quarter passes $9,101, the ceiling applies. A higher-paid worker therefore gets the same check as a modestly paid one, and the replacement rate falls as pay rises.
When a third of your wages is the limit
The total is the lesser of 20 weekly payments and one third of base-period wages. That second limit binds when base-period wages are less than about 2.3 times the best quarter. Someone who earned $12,000, with $6,500 in one quarter, gets $250 a week but only $4,000 in total, which is 16 weeks of payments. The duration guide lists the states with similar caps.
Qualifying, filing and earning
The wage tests are $4,455 over the base period, $1,092 in the best quarter, and base-period wages of at least one and a half times that quarter. Claimants request payment weekly through the state's online portal and complete work search contacts each week. Earnings up to a quarter of the weekly benefit are disregarded; above that, they are deducted dollar for dollar. On $250, the first $63 you earn costs nothing. The partial unemployment guide compares states.
Payments are taxable on the federal return (IRS Topic 418), and 10% can be withheld on request. On a short claim the amount due is modest, but spreading it over the weeks of benefits avoids a surprise at filing time.
South Carolina unemployment rules in force in 2026
| Rule | South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Earnings needed in the base period | 1½ x HQW; $4,455 minimum; $1,092 in HQ |
| Weekly benefit formula | 50% of HQ avg weekly wage |
| Weekly benefit, 2026 | $42 to $350 |
| Most you can draw in a benefit year | Lesser of 1/3 BPW or 20 x WBA |
| Weeks payable | 13 to 20 |
| Pay you can earn in a week without losing benefits | 1/4 WBA |