DSS Announces Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) Relief for Specific Counties Impacted by Hurricane Helene

Frequently Asked Questions- Disaster Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP)

The South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) has announced counties eligible to receive Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) Assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.

As of November 1, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved the following counties for DSNAP as a result of Hurricane Helene: Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Cherokee, Chester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Hampton, Jasper, Kershaw, Laurens, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Union, and York.

DSNAP will be implemented in two phases.  Residents are only eligible for pre-registration and telephone interviews during their assigned period.

Phase one includes the following counties:

Beginning Monday, November 11^th, residents of Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Cherokee, Hampton, Laurens, McCormick, Saluda, Spartanburg, Union, and York counties may pre-register for DSNAP online, at https://benefitsportal.dss.sc.gov/.  Those who pre-register will be sent instructions on how to complete their eligibility interview by phone and if approved, the applicant will have their EBT card mailed to them.

Applicants are encouraged to provide as much information as possible on the online pre-registration form.  Failure to provide your county of residence, date of birth, current contact information, and a photo of your South Carolina Driver’s License/ID card may result in you having to wait to apply in-person when your county’s DSNAP onsite event is scheduled.

Online pre-registration and interviews cannot be completed at your local county DSS office. Calling or visiting your local DSS office will not expedite the application and verification process for DSNAP.

Telephone interviews for pre-registered households in Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Cherokee, Hampton, Laurens, McCormick, Saluda, Spartanburg, Union, and York counties will be held November 12^th – November 15^th. 

In-person DSNAP events will be held between December 2^nd and December 6^th for residents who are unable to pre-register and complete the telephone interview.

Online pre-registration and interviews cannot be completed at your local county DSS office.  Calling or visiting your local DSS office will not expedite the application and verification process for DSNAP.

Any household that resided within one of the designated counties at the time of Hurricane Helene AND suffered unreimbursed disaster losses may be eligible to receive temporary DSNAP assistance.  DSNAP benefits are provided via an electronic debit-like card and can be used to purchase food items at authorized SNAP retailers.

Residents in any of the designated counties who meet the DSNAP income guidelines may be eligible if the household experienced at least one of the following conditions as a direct result of the September 27^th storms:

• Damage to or destruction of the home.
• Loss or inaccessibility of income including a reduction or termination of income or a significant delay in receiving income due to disaster related problems.
• Disaster-related expenses (home or business repairs, temporary shelter, evacuation, etc.) that are not expected to be reimbursed during the disaster benefit period.

Applicants must have suffered a loss related to Hurricane Helene to be eligible for DSNAP benefits.  Households applying for Disaster SNAP must have lived in the disaster area at the time of the storms and must have suffered loss or damages.  Food loss alone is not a qualifying factor for DSNAP assistance.  Applicants should be prepared to provide the following:

• Proof of Identity
• Proof of Address
• Proof of Income
• Proof of the value of unreimbursed damages incurred as a direct result of the storms
• Proof of loss or inaccessibility of income

All applications are subject to review.  If it is determined that an applicant received benefits that he/she was not entitled to, the applicant will be required to pay them back.

Per federal rules and guidelines, current SNAP recipients are not eligible for DSNAP.  SNAP recipients who reside in a county approved for DSNAP may be eligible for a disaster supplement if their monthly SNAP benefit is less than the maximum monthly allotment for their household size.  

Current SNAP recipients residing in Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Cherokee, Chester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Hampton, Jasper, Laurens, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Union, and York counties who qualify will automatically receive a disaster supplement on their EBT cards on or before November 13, 2024.

Current SNAP recipients residing in Kershaw County who qualify for a disaster supplement who suffered a disaster loss may go to the designated site in Kershaw County December 11^th – 13^th and file an Affidavit of Loss to request a supplement of their October SNAP benefits.

DSS reminds the public to be sure you are obtaining information from official sources and trusted news organizations to avoid confusion and misinformation. Additional updates will be posted to dss.sc.gov as they become available, including information about the next round of online pre-registration and screening interviews.