(A)(1) A person who has received a sum as benefits under Chapters 27 through 41 while conditions for the receipt of benefits imposed by these chapters were not fulfilled or while he was disqualified from receiving benefits is liable to repay the department for the unemployment compensation fund a sum equal to the amount received by him.

(2) If full repayment of benefits, to which an individual was determined not entitled, has not been made, the sum must be deducted from future benefits payable to him under Chapters 27 through 41, and the sum must be collectible in the manner provided in Sections 41-31-380 through 41-31-400 for the collection of past due contributions.

(3) The department may attempt collection of overpayments through the South Carolina Department of Revenue in accordance with Section 12-56-10, et seq. If the overpayment is collectible in accordance with Section 12-56-60, the department shall add to the amount of the overpayment a collection fee of not more than fifty dollars for each collection attempt to defray administrative costs. Notwithstanding another provision of law, a final decision of the department or court establishing the character and amount of overpayment is final for all purposes and proceedings.

(4) The department may attempt collection of overpayment through the federal Unemployment Compensation Treasury Offset Program (UCTOP). If the overpayment is collectible, the department shall add to the amount of the overpayment a collection fee not to exceed the administrative costs set by this program.

(5) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, no action to enforce recovery or recoupment of any overpayment may begin after five years from the date of the final determination for nonfraudulent overpayments nor after eight years from the date of the final determination for fraudulent overpayments.

(B)(1) A person who is overpaid any amounts as benefits under Chapters 27 through 41 is liable to repay those amounts, except as otherwise provided by this subsection.

(2) Upon written request by the person submitted to the department within the statutory appeal period from the issuance of the determination of overpayment, the department may waive repayment if the department finds that the:

(a) overpayment was not due to fraud, misrepresentation, or wilful nondisclosure on the part of the person;

(b) overpayment was received without fault on the part of the person; and

(c) recovery of the overpayment from the person would be contrary to equity and good conscience.

(3) Decisions denying waiver requests are subject to the appeal provisions of Chapter 35.

(C) A person who has received a sum as benefits under the comparable unemployment law of any other state while conditions imposed by that law were not fulfilled or while he was disqualified from receiving benefits by that law is liable to repay the department for the corresponding unemployment compensation fund of the other state a sum equal to the amount received by him if the other state has entered into an Interstate Reciprocal Overpayment Recovery Agreement with the State and has furnished the department with verification of the overpayment as required by the agreement. Recovery of overpayments under this subsection are not subject to the provisions of subsections (A)(3) and (B).

(D) Upon the determination of fraudulent overpayments by the department, an employer from whose account the overpayment was debited must be credited for the amount of the overpayment regardless of the outcome of the action for recoupment or recovery of the overpayment. This section shall not apply to employers whose accounts are subject to the provisions of Section 41-31-810 or 41-31-620.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 68-403; 1952 Code Section 68-403; 1949 (46) 262; 1957 (50) 580; 1972 (57) 2309; 1981 Act No. 108 Section 13; 1985 Act No. 154, Section 7; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 982, eff July 1, 1993; 2002 Act No. 202, Section 2, eff April 10, 2002; 2010 Act No. 146, Section 105, eff March 30, 2010; 2011 Act No. 63, Section 13, eff June 14, 2011; 2012 Act No. 247, Section 3, eff June 18, 2012; 2015 Act No. 77 (S.407), Section 2, eff June 8, 2015.

Effect of Amendment

The 1993 amendment substituted "Department of Revenue" for "Tax Commission".

The 2002 amendment rewrote this section.

The 2010 amendment substituted "department" for eight occurrences of "commission" throughout the section.

The 2011 amendment inserted subsection (A)(4) relating to overpayment through the federal UCTOP, redesignated former subsection (A)(4) as subsection (A)(5), and in subsection (A)(5) added "for nonfraudulent overpayments nor after eight years from the date of the final determination for fraudulent overpayments" at the end.

The 2012 amendment added subsection (D).

2015 Act No. 77, Section 2, in (A)(3), substituted "fifty dollars" for "twenty-five dollars", and added the last sentence; and in (D), substituted "Section" for "Sections".