You did not pay into the unemployment system. Your employers in the past five quarters have paid into the unemployment system for you, but in the whole many years you have worked, you have not paid into the unemployment insurance system. It is not the same as social security. It looks only at the last five quarters back from the time you file the claim, regardless of whether or not you have worked for years. And it is not a needs based program. In other words, they do not ask income questions. They do not care if you are down to your last dollar, or if your spouse is working and bringing in $300,000 a year when you file. Millionaires can qualify for benefits. Lottery winners could possibly qualify.
Federal laws say that in order to be eligible for unemployment benefits, you must be out of work through no fault of your own, monetarily eligible (have covered waged from covered employers in the appropriate quarters) and be able, available and actively seeking work. You must participate in any and all work search requirements and go on interviews if required while receiving unemployment benefits. If you are waiting to get on disability, which does take a long time, you do not qualify for unemployment benefits, because if you are not released by your doctor to work, (fully released in a non-work related health issue situation) you won't be able to meet the work search and availability requirements.
This is a huge hole in our social welfare net, one I have seen a great many people fall into. Only when you have become low income, when you have lost all your other resources, can you qualify for DSS assistance such as food stamps. But unemployment is not, and has never been a welfare program based on need. It is insurance, paid by the employer to provide a small bit of income for their employees that have been put out of work through no fault of their own. Taxes to fund unemployment are collected by the state from all covered employers, not any from employees paychecks in South Carolina.

