S.C. Code § 9-12-70
Contributions shall not be accumulated under a QEBA to pay future supplemental retirement allowances. Instead, each payment of contributions by the applicable employer that would otherwise be made to a retirement system shall be reduced by the amount necessary to pay the required supplemental retirement allowances, and these contributions will be deposited in a separate fund that is a portion of the retirement system. This separate fund is intended to be exempt from federal income tax under Sections 115 and 415(m) of the Internal Revenue Code. The board shall pay the required supplemental retirement allowances to the member, retired member, or beneficiary out of the employer contributions so transferred. The employer contributions otherwise required under the terms of a retirement system shall be divided into those contributions required to pay supplemental retirement allowances hereunder, and those contributions paid into and accumulated in the retirement system funds created under Chapter 16 of this title to pay the maximum benefits permitted. Employer contributions made to a separate fund to provide supplemental retirement allowances shall not be commingled with the contributions paid into and accumulated in the retirement system funds created under Chapter 16. The supplemental retirement allowance benefit liability shall be funded on a calendar year to calendar year basis. Any assets of a separate QEBA fund not used for paying benefits for a current calendar year shall be used, as determined by the board, for the payment of administrative expenses of the QEBA for the calendar year.
S.C. Code § 9-12-70