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DSS Announces Second Phase of Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) In-Person Events for Specific Counties Impacted by Hurricane Helene

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DSS Office of Communications & External Affairs

803-898-7602

publicinfo@dss.sc.gov

DSS Announces Second Phase of Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) In-Person Events for Specific Counties Impacted by Hurricane Helene

November 26, 2024- As of November 1, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved the following counties for Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) Assistance 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.

Households that resided within one of the designated counties at the time of Hurricane Helene AND suffered unreimbursed disaster losses may be eligible to receive a DSNAP benefit.  Food loss alone is not a qualifying factor for DSNAP assistance. 

Non-SNAP residents in the affected counties who are seeking assistance and were unable to pre-register and complete a telephone interview between November 12th and November 21st may apply in-person according to the schedule below.

Each in-person event will run for three (3) days.  Individuals can only apply for DSNAP at the designated location in their county of residence.

Beginning Sunday, December 1st, residents of 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/ and visit the DSNAP site in their county of residence between Monday, December 2nd and Friday, December 6th to complete an eligibility interview. 

Beginning Sunday, December 8th, residents of Abbeville, Aiken, Chester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Jasper, Kershaw, Lexington, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, and Richland counties may pre-register for DSNAP online, at https://benefitsportal.dss.sc.gov/ and visit the DSNAP site in their county of residence between Monday, December 9th and Friday, December 13th to complete an eligibility interview. 

Households who applied for DSNAP between November 11th and November 21st and were denied after a telephone interview are not eligible to re-apply.  If you do not agree with the decision made on your DSNAP application, you may request a fair hearing by calling 1-800-311-7220 or writing to your local county DSS office.

Interviews cannot be completed at your local county DSS office.  Calling or visiting your local DSS office will not expedite the application process for DSNAP.

Applicants must have suffered a loss directly related to Hurricane Helene to be eligible for DSNAP benefits.  Households applying for Disaster SNAP must have lived in the disaster area on September 27, 2024, and must have suffered loss or damages, such as: 

  • 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.

Individuals applying for DSNAP in-person 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 DSNAP 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.  Current SNAP recipients who reside in a county approved for DSNAP and received SNAP during the month of October 2024 may be eligible for a disaster supplement if their monthly SNAP benefit is less than the maximum monthly allotment for their household size.  

This disaster supplement was already issued to 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.

Current SNAP recipients residing in Kershaw County who meet all of the criteria listed below may go to the designated DSNAP site in Kershaw County between December 11th and 13th and file an Affidavit of Loss to request a supplement of their October SNAP benefits:

  1. Received SNAP in October 2024;
  2. Receive a monthly benefit that is less than the maximum monthly allotment for their household size; and
  3. Suffered a disaster loss.

DSNAP Onsite Events Schedule:

 

Monday, December 2nd through Wednesday, December 4th

All Locations are 8AM – 5PM

County

Site Location/Address

Anderson

Iconic Event Center  

3131 N. Main Street 

Anderson, SC 29625

Cherokee

Old Cherokee DSS Office

1434 N. Limestone Street

Gaffney, SC 29340

Laurens

Laurens County Piedmont Technical College

663 Medical Ridge Road

Clinton, SC 29325

McCormick

Talmadge Center

1319 S Main Street

McCormick, SC 29835

Saluda

Radius Church

100 Main Street 

Saluda, SC 29138

Union

Union County Recreation Department

111 Thomas Street

Union, SC 29379

 

 

Wednesday, December 4th through Friday, December 6th  

All Locations are 8AM – 5PM

County

Site Location/Address

Allendale

Brandt Building

398 Barnwell Highway

Allendale, SC 29810

Bamberg

Bamberg Civic Center

2477 Main Hwy

Bamberg, SC 29003

Barnwell

Blackville Community Center

19464 Solomon Blatt Ave N

Blackville, SC 29817

Beaufort

Burton Well Recreation Center

1 Middleton Recreation Drive

Beaufort, SC 29906

Hampton

Huspah Missionary Baptist Church

729 Magnolia Street West

Hampton, SC 29924

Spartanburg

Dr. T.K. Gregg Community Center

650 Howard Street

Spartanburg, SC 29303

York

First Baptist Church

481 Hood Center Drive

Rock Hill, South Carolina 29730

 

 

Monday, December 9th through Wednesday, December 11th

All Locations are 8AM – 5PM

County

Site Location/Address

Abbeville

Abbeville Civic Center

404 N. Main Street

Abbeville, SC 29620

Aiken

Western Carolina State Fairground

561 May Royal Drive, Hwy 495

Aiken, SC 29801

Chester

Mount Olive Baptist Church

176 Center Street

Chester, SC 29706

Greenwood

Greenwood YMCA

1760 Calhoun Road

Greenwood, SC 29649

Jasper

Mount Carmel Baptist Center

3763 Bees Creek Road

Ridgeland, SC 29936

Newberry

Prosperity Rikard Civic Center

250 School Drive

Prosperity, SC 291127

Oconee

Old Seneca Middle School

810 W. South 4th Street

Seneca, SC 29678

Orangeburg

Edisto Fork United Methodist Church

356 Lariot Road

Orangeburg, SC 29115

Pickens

East Pickens Baptist Church

2244 Gentry Memorial Hwy

Pickens, SC 29671

 

 

Wednesday, December 11th through Friday, December 13th

All Locations are 8AM – 5PM

County

Site Location/Address

Edgefield

American Legion Hall

314 Penn Street

Edgefield, SC 29824

Fairfield

Blackjack Baptist Church

178 State Road

Winnsboro, SC 29180

Greenville

TD Convention Center

1 Exposition Drive

Greenville, SC 29607 

Kershaw

Kershaw Cnty Recreation Facility – City Arena

420 Broad Street

Camden, SC 29020

Lexington

Lexington County DSS Office

1070 S. Lake Drive

Lexington, SC 29073

Richland

The Meeting Place Conference Ctr

201 Columbia Mall Blvd.

Columbia, SC 29223

 

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