DSS announces SC counties to receive SNAP assistance in wake of Helene Disaster

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) – The South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) announced Wednesday that they will provide certain eligible counties with Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) assistance due to the ongoing impacts of Hurricane Helene.

DSNAP assistance is provided through electronic debit cards that can be used to purchase food items from authorized SNAP retailers.

The department said DSNAP support will be implemented in two phases. Residents can do this during each phase register in advance and interview for help over the phone. The first phase includes the following provinces:

Aiken
Allendale
Anderson
Bamberg
Barnwell
Beaufort
Cherokee
Hampton
Laurens
McCormick
Saluda
Spartanburg
Union
York

Households who lived within designated counties during Hurricane Helene and suffered unreimbursed losses due to the storm could qualify for DSNAP assistance. These losses include:

Damage or destruction of a home
Loss or inaccessibility of income due to disaster-related problems
Disaster-related costs not expected to be reimbursed during the disaster benefit period

DSS noted that food loss alone is not a qualifying factor for assistance.