DSS releases list of South Carolina counties eligible for Helene disaster relief
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – The South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) has released the names of counties that are eligible for the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP).
On November 1, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the following counties for DSNAP as a result of Hurricane Helene:
Anderson,
Newberry,
DSNAP will be rolled out 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 11th, residents of those counties can pre-register for DSNAP online, at this link . Those who pre-register will get instructions on how to complete their eligibility. If approved, an EBT card will be mailed to them.
Applicants are asked to provide as much information as possible when registering. Failure to provide your county of residence, date of birth, current contact information and a photo of your South Carolina Driver's License/ID could result in applicants having to wait until your county's DSNAP onsite event is scheduled.
Online pre-registration and interviews cannot be completed at your local county DSS office.
Telephone interviews for pre-registered households in the eligible counties will be held November 12th – November 15th. In-person DSNAP events will be held between December 2nd and December 6th for residents who are unable to pre-register and complete the telephone interview.
Residents in the designated counties may be eligible if the household experienced at least one of the following conditions as a direct result of the September 27th 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. 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. Current SNAP recipients residing in the below counties who qualify will automatically receive a disaster supplement on their EBT cards on or before November 13, 2024:
Barnwell,
Saluda,
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 through 13 and file an Affidavit of Loss to request a supplement of their October SNAP benefits.
Additional updates will be posted here as they become available, including information about the next round of online pre-registration and screening interviews.
