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First round of extended unemployment benefits paid in S.C.

Staff Report //January 4, 2021//

First round of extended unemployment benefits paid in S.C.

Staff Report //January 4, 2021//

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The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce has paid more than $10 million to the first round of eligible claimants for extended federal unemployment benefits.

The $300 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation supplemental benefits, part of the Continued Assistance Act of 2020 signed into law on Dec. 27, were paid overnight, according to a news release from DEW today.

Beginning with claim week ending Jan. 2, claimants who are eligible to receive at least $1 of an unemployment program will also receive an additional $300 on top of their weekly benefit amount, the agency said. The additional benefit will be provided through claim week ending March 13.

“We are extremely excited to begin paying these important funds without interruption to continuing claimants with eligible weeks,” Dan Ellzey, DEW executive director, said. “Our agency has only received the very first of the guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor, and there is still a great deal of work to be done to study and implement these complex programs, but we are happy to begin the process and support South Carolinians during this difficult time. We will communicate with claimants to help them navigate new deadlines and expectations.”

A pair of federal unemployment programs, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation and Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, expired for the claim week ending Dec. 26. 

FPUC funds were made available to states over the weekend, DEW said, and the additional benefits were paid to individuals on a continued claim who have not exhausted their eligible weeks.

DEW said it is continuing to receive Labor Department guidance to implement benefits programs. Updates will be communicated online and through social media, the agency said.

Initial unemployment claims filed in the state for the final week of 2020 increased by 968 from the previous week, with Richland County seeing the biggest jump.

For the week ending Dec. 26, 4,551 claims were filed, up from 3,583 for the week ending Dec. 19, according to DEW data. That included a state-high 675 claims in Richland County, 295 more than the 380 filed in Greenville County.

Horry County saw 345 initial claims, Spartanburg County 300, Charleston County 217 and Lexington County 185.

For the week of Dec. 20-26, 77,653 claimants received an average of $227.42. Since March 15, DEW has paid $4.77 billion in state and federal benefits.

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