SC DEW: $53 million in unemployment benefits paid to residents Sunday

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce paid out $53 million in unemployment benefits.

According to the agency, there were 64,000 South Carolina residents received payment notices on Sunday. Those payments will be available for use within 24-72 hours, depending on the resident’s bank’s procedure. The $53 million was authorized through the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program and includes some claims paid for previous weeks.

“The four weeks prior to COVID-19, our agency has processed approximately 7,000 initial claims. In the four weeks since COVID-19, we have processed 266,000 initial claims. I am beyond proud of the work of our agency staff for rising to the challenge and assisting individuals who are relying on state and federal funding to help them keep food on their tables and their bills paid,” says agency executive director, Dan Ellzey. “There’s still a lot of work to be done, but please know our staff is dedicated to helping everyone. We encourage you to continue to check our website and COVID-19 Resource hub, as well as our social media channels as updates to resources are being made daily.”

Also, SC DEW paid out $10 million in regular unemployment insurance benefits on Sunday. That is in addition to the $19 million paid out in regular unemployment benefits last week.

SC DEW is expected to offer additional unemployment programs through the CARES Act to help those seeking unemployment benefits after being impacted by COVID-19.

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