You may have received a Wage Audit Notice from the SC Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) in the mail or online via your SC Business One Stop (SCBOS) account. But perhaps you’re unsure what to do with the form or even why you need to fill it out.
These notices are critical to helping stop unemployment fraud and improper payment.
Each week DEW compares wage and new hire databases to the unemployment benefit recipient database in order to identify individuals who may have improperly received unemployment benefits while being employed. Claims with potential for conflict are audited via Wage Audit Notices that are sent to the current employer of the individual in question.
Wage Audit Notices are sent by mail or electronically through SCBOS, depending on the employer’s preferred medium. This audit form only requests wage information for weeks that the individual may have also filed for unemployment benefits.
Wage Audit Notices should be completed and returned in a timely manner in order to ensure the integrity of the unemployment program, minimize improper payments and maintain lower tax rates for you and all S.C. business owners.
You may submit Wage Audit Notices electronically through SCBOS via the Internet Response Module for Employer (IRME) portal, which also allows you to register to receive audit notices by email. Learn more about IRME here.
You may also respond by fax, mail or email with corresponding payroll documentation using the contact information provided on the notice. The fastest and easiest way to respond is electronically through SCBOS.
Once DEW receives the requested wage information, any week(s) that an individual received improper payments will be disqualified, and the individual will be held accountable for repaying the debt. Additionally any charges incurred will be credited back to the corresponding employer or program initially charged with the claim.