The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce offers this guidance for providing a prompt response to four types of interactions:

Unemployment Insurance Taxes are a Necessary Cost of Doing Business. Play an Active Role Controlling the Costs by Responding Timely to Notifications from SCDEW:

RESPOND TO SEPARATION REQUESTS

When a former employee files for UI benefits, you have the opportunity to supply information to DEW regarding the reason the individual is now unemployed. You must respond to the department within 10 calendar days of receiving the notification in order to prevent a former employee from wrongfully receiving UI benefits. For details on how to respond to a separation request, visit the UI Benefits page or go to dew.sc.gov >employers > ui benefits > employer separation response.

RESPOND TO WAGE AUDIT NOTICES

To avoid paying benefits to claimants who are currently working, the DEW runs the names of all claimants through a new hire database to identify individuals who are receiving unemployment benefits while also being employed. When a claimant’s name appears on the new hire database, the DEW starts an audit by issuing a wage audit notice to the current employer of the claimant. This information is necessary for the DEW to know whether the employee is working at the same time they are also receiving wages. This wage audit notice should be returned to the DEW within 10 calendar days. Learn more about Wage Audit Notices here or visit the SCDEW YouTube page and view the Wage Audit Notice video under the Employer playlist.

REPORT ALL NEW HIRES TO THE S.C. NEW HIRE DATABASE

The New Hire Reporting Program is a database administered by the S.C. Department of Social Services (DSS) and used by DEW to identify individuals who are working and collecting UI benefits. Reporting new hires helps keep UI tax costs down by ensuring that only individuals who are eligible receive UI benefits. Become an active participant in preventing overpayment of UI benefits by reporting all your newly hired and rehired employees on the S.C. New Hire website at newhire.sc.gov.

REVIEW QUARTERLY CHARGE STATEMENTS

At the end of each quarter, every employer receives a copy of all UI benefits charged against their account for that quarter. Please review all benefit charges carefully. At this time, benefit charges for non-Covid-19-related benefits will affect your unemployment tax rate at a later date. If you disagree with any of your benefit charges or find any errors, you must protest the charges within 30 days of the date of notice. You may submit your protest online using the Employer Charge Protest portal.