What to do if you lose your job in SC because of the coronavirus
This story was updated 10:56 a.m. April 9, and will be updated with the latest information.
Unemployment numbers have hit record highs in the United States as the coronavirus pandemic continues. In South Carolina, the impacts of the outbreak have resulted in nearly 200,000 job losses, according to the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.
State and local officials have responded by increasing access to safety net programs and unemployment benefits, as well as other services.
Here is what you should do if you find yourself out of work in South Carolina due to COVID-19, plus some tips on where to find help to cover basic needs if you’re facing financial hardship:
If you have been laid off
Apply for unemployment insurance immediately by submitting a claim to South Carolina’s Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW).
If you are laid off or furloughed, ask your employer about continuing health care coverage. Find out if you are eligible to receive severance pay, accrued vacation pay or a partial salary. Ask supervisors to confirm in writing that they won’t contest your unemployment claim.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, DEW is taking extra steps to quickly extend benefits to jobless South Carolinians.
On March 19, the department eliminated its usual one-week waiting period for people who apply for unemployment insurance between March 15 and April 18. That means payment to approved claimants should arrive one week earlier.
Check eligibility requirements and disqualifications on the DEW website, dew.sc.gov. On April 8, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order allowing furloughed workers to receive unemployment benefits.
The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed into law in late March extends and expands unemployment benefits to cover gig workers and others who might not otherwise qualify. DEW is encouraging workers who think they qualify for benefits under CARES to file claims.
DEW’s COVID-19 Resource Hub and social media will be updated with information on how the CARES Act will affect South Carolinians.
DEW’s process for submitting a claim (applying for benefits) is entirely online. For answers to frequently asked questions about unemployment, check the landing page the department created specifically for coronavirus-related issues, www.dew.sc.gov/covid-hub.
While your claim is being evaluated, call early in the day (lines open at 8 a.m. on weekdays and close at 4 p.m.) and routinely check on the status of your claim. Due to the volume of cases DEW is handling during the coronavirus pandemic, lines might be busy or overloaded. To speak to a representative about a claim, call the DEW toll-free line at 1-866-831-1724.
Other useful phone numbers can be found at dew.sc.gov/contact. Stay on top of communications from the agency.
On March 19, DEW suspended the requirement that unemployment insurance claimants apply to two jobs per week in order to receive benefits. That waiver applies to those who apply for unemployment between March 15 and April 18.
The maximum weekly benefit ordinarily offered in South Carolina is $326 before taxes, according to DEW. The additional $600 in unemployment benefits written into the CARES Act will come from the federal government.
Employers can also submit unemployment claims on behalf of their workers during a “temporary shutdown” or slowdown in business. Those employees can receive six weeks of unemployment insurance without needing to apply for other jobs.
In recent weeks, as the number of coronavirus patients ballooned across the country and in South Carolina, the department has experienced an influx of unemployment claims, Director Dan Ellzey told state leaders on a March 17 morning conference call. Officials discussed the “dramatic increase” on the call, which included Gov. Henry McMaster, health officials, Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman, business leaders and state agency heads.
South Carolina unemployment claims swelled over the course of several weeks in March. During the week ending April 4, initial unemployment claims in the state increased to nearly 85,000.
Other resources if you’re under financial stress
If you need additional help, such as with affording basic needs, you can apply for various assistance programs — such as SNAP (formerly referred to as “food stamps”) — through the South Carolina Department of Social Services. On March 27, the department announced it would be expanding SNAP benefits to last for two additional months.
Soup kitchens, food pantries and homeless shelters in the Midlands that serve meals plan to remain open during the coronavirus pandemic.
There are also programs in Richland County and Lexington County that offer free meals to senior citizens. Preexisting EBT benefits will not be canceled during the coronavirus emergency, according to DHEC.
South Carolina’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program has also been made more flexibile for those impacted by the coronavirus. As of March, there were 76,803 South Carolinians in the WIC program — an increase of 2,103 participants since February.
Starting Monday, April 13, WIC participants won’t be required to visit clinics. Appointments and other nutritional services will instead be over the phone. For more information about WIC or to make an appointment, call DHEC at 1-855-472-3432.
DHEC has also expanded food options under WIC due to food shortages during COVID-19. To see what is currently available, visit scdhec.gov/WIC.
If you think you were laid off because you had coronavirus
The novel coronavirus is a new gray area when it comes to employment law, according to Lee Ann Watson, an attorney for the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission.
“Right now, the agency simply doesn’t know whether or not this medical condition will be considered a disability under the Americans with Disability Act,” she said. “A lot of it will be on a case-by-case basis, depending on the long-term ramifications.”
If you believe you were laid off or fired because you tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by coronavirus, you can file a complaint with the Human Affairs Commission or the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Complaints about wages can be sent to the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. If you want more thorough guidance on what to do if you believe you’ve been discriminated against, consider scheduling a consultation with an employment attorney through the South Carolina Bar Association.
More questions about unemployment benefits
Will S.C. extend unemployment insurance for people whose benefits are about to expire during the coronavirus pandemic?
Maybe. State law allows benefits to be provided for up to 20 weeks — consecutive or not — within a calendar year.
“If someone started receiving benefits at the beginning of January and has consecutively taken benefits since then, they would be around the 11 of 20 week mark at this time,” DEW spokesperson Heather Biance said.
However, this may change as South Carolina implements provisions in the federal CARES Act. DEW’s COVID-19 Resource Hub and social media will also be updated with information on how the CARES Act will affect South Carolinians.
Will I still need to apply to at least two jobs per week in order to receive benefits, even if I lost my job due to the coronavirus pandemic?
Not if you applied between March 15 and April 18, 2020. DEW waived the job application requirement for laid off workers who submit unemployment insurance claims within the specified time frame, since the coronavirus is impacting South Carolina’s workforce and employers.
When can I apply for benefits included in the CARES Act?
“The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act has been signed into law, but these benefits are not yet available,” according to DEW, which is “awaiting further guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor for state-specific implementation.”
If you have already filed an unemployment insurance claim, DEW says to continue to file your weekly claim. Those who are self-employed, independent contractors, nonprofit employees, and gig economy workers, or requesting an extension of benefits and are not currently filing weekly claims, should continue to visit dew.sc.gov for additional information and guidance.
DEW’s COVID-19 Resource Hub and social media will also be updated with information on how the CARES Act will affect South Carolinians.
If you think you might be laid off soon
Try to cut down on expenses where you can, if you can. Creating a budget can help identify where you can save money, such as on entertainment, unused subscriptions or dining out.
Update your resume and start searching for work, including short-term, web-based jobs.
Document any meetings with your managers, along with the content of those conversations. Re-read your employment contract and policy manuals to familiarize yourself with your rights and benefits.
This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 5:09 PM with the headline "What to do if you lose your job in SC because of the coronavirus."