SC DSS Form 1245, the Request for Wage Information, is the wage verification form the South Carolina Department of Social Services uses to confirm an applicant’s earnings for SNAP, TANF, and child support cases. You sign a short authorization on the form, your employer fills in the payroll details, and the completed form goes back to the DSS county office listed at the top. The rest of this guide walks through each piece.
Where to Get the Form
The current version is DSS Form 1245 (JUL 21), available as a PDF from the SC DSS resource library at dss.sc.gov.1South Carolina Department of Social Services. Request for Wage Information You can also pick up a copy at your local DSS county office. If you applied online through the SC DSS benefits portal, your caseworker may mail or fax the form directly to your employer once you provide their contact information.2South Carolina Department of Social Services. Online Services
If your employer receives a form with a different number or an older revision date, call your caseworker to confirm whether that version is still accepted.
What You Fill Out
Your part is short. Sign the authorization statement, which reads: “I hereby authorize my employer to release the following information about my wages.”1South Carolina Department of Social Services. Request for Wage Information Add your printed name, the last four digits of your Social Security number, and the date you signed. Without that signature, your employer has no authority to release anything and the form stops there.
You don’t need to touch the top of the form. The DSS county office pre-fills the case name, case number, office address, phone and fax numbers, and the signature of the authorized agency official before the form reaches you.
What Your Employer Fills Out
The employer section is the bulk of the form and should be completed from payroll records, not estimates. Whoever handles payroll — an HR representative, office manager, or payroll administrator — fills in the following:1South Carolina Department of Social Services. Request for Wage Information
- Date employment began
- Date of the first check if this is a new job
- Pay frequency (weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, or other)
- Hourly wage
- Expected wages per pay period for salaried employees
- Hours per pay period after any training period ends
- Whether the job is seasonal
- Pay dates or the usual day of the week pay is received
- Other earnings not included in base pay, such as tips, commissions, or bonuses
- Any anticipated change to the hourly rate or scheduled hours, with the change and effective date
The Wage Information Table
A table on the form captures recent pay period history. For each pay period, the employer enters the date the pay period ended, the date the check was received, total hours worked, and gross pay. A separate column lists tips, bonuses, or commissions that aren’t already in gross pay, broken out by type and amount. Another column covers benefits paid during that period — workers’ compensation, disability pay, maternity or sick leave pay, severance, or vacation pay — also by type and amount.
Page two has an additional table for cases that need more pay period history. Both tables must be signed and dated by the person providing the information, along with their job title and phone number.
Leave or Termination Status
If you are on leave or have been laid off, the employer indicates the type of leave, the date of the final check, the gross amount of that check, and your expected return date. If employment has ended, the employer notes the reason for termination, the final check date, and its gross amount. DSS uses this section to decide whether to count the income as ongoing or treat it as a change in your financial picture.
How to Submit the Completed Form
The form goes back to the DSS county office printed at the top. That office’s mailing address and fax number appear on the form when it is sent out, so your employer knows exactly where to return it. Three methods are standard:
- Mail the signed original to the county office address printed on the form. If returning to the central office, the mailing address is P.O. Box 1520, Columbia, SC 29202-1520.3South Carolina Department of Social Services. Contact DSS
- Fax using the county fax number printed on the form.
- Upload through the DSS benefits portal at benefitsportal.dss.sc.gov if you receive SNAP or child care financial assistance. Child support cases use a separate portal at clientportal.dss.sc.gov.2South Carolina Department of Social Services. Online Services3South Carolina Department of Social Services. Contact DSS
Fax is usually the fastest option, and many county offices prefer it because the form drops straight into the case file. If you mail, keep a copy. Replacement requests add days to a tight timeline.
What Happens After DSS Gets the Form
A caseworker reviews the figures to decide benefit eligibility or calculate child support. Federal law requires states to process SNAP applications within 30 days, or within 7 days for households eligible for expedited service.4U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. Identifying Program Components and Practices That Influence SNAP Application Processing Timeliness Rates Slow wage verification is one of the most common reasons applications miss those deadlines, which is why returning the form promptly matters.
If the reported numbers look inconsistent with previous filings or other data DSS has on file, your caseworker may ask for additional documentation such as recent pay stubs, a letter from the employer, or clarification on specific pay periods. Answer those follow-up requests quickly to keep the case moving.
If the Wages Reported Are Wrong
If your employer reports inaccurate wages and it changes your benefit amount, you can challenge the decision through an administrative hearing. For SNAP, you must request a hearing within 90 days of the adverse action. For TANF, the deadline is 60 days.5South Carolina Department of Social Services. Administrative Hearings
Once DSS receives your request, the county office that took the action is notified and holds a prehearing conference. You get a hearing schedule letter with instructions on how to participate, along with an evidence packet. After the hearing, a written decision is mailed to you. If you disagree, you can file a motion to reconsider within 10 days based on a legal or factual error or newly discovered evidence, or request judicial review through the South Carolina Administrative Law Court within 30 days of the order.5South Carolina Department of Social Services. Administrative Hearings
Bring your own pay stubs, bank deposit records, or a corrected statement from your employer. The more documentation you have of the correct figures, the stronger your case.
Why Your Employer Has to Cooperate
If your employer hesitates, state law is on your side. Section 63-17-2310(A)(1) of the South Carolina Code requires all employers in the state, including for-profit businesses, nonprofits, and government employers, to provide an employee’s name, Social Security number, and date of birth to DSS on request for purposes of establishing paternity or establishing, modifying, or enforcing child support. An employer or income payor who willfully fails to comply with the child support enforcement article may face contempt of court, and an employer who violates health insurance coverage requirements under a child support order can be fined up to $50 per day.6South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 63-17 – Paternity and Child Support For a SNAP or TANF wage request, the practical point is simpler: completing the form takes a few minutes, and refusing it exposes the business to legal risk and holds up the employee’s benefits.