Assistance Programs in South Carolina

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, LIHEAP, helps eligible South Carolina households pay home heating and cooling bills and covers energy crises. The Office of Economic Opportunity funds it, but you apply through the Community Action Agency serving your county, not through a central office. Find your local agency at oeo.sc.gov or dial 2-1-1. Application periods are seasonal and funds are limited, so ask your agency for the current open dates.

Free home energy-efficiency work for income-eligible South Carolina households: insulation, air sealing, and heating and cooling improvements that lower future bills and make the home safer. The Office of Economic Opportunity runs it through eight Community Action Agencies that cover all 46 counties. Contact the agency serving your county to apply; find yours at oeo.sc.gov. Both homeowners and renters can qualify.

SNAP is South Carolina's food assistance program: monthly food money on an EBT card you use like a debit card at most grocery stores. The Department of Social Services runs it. Apply online through the DSS Benefits Portal at benefitsportal.dss.sc.gov, in person at your county DSS office, or by mail or fax. To check a case or request a form, call the DSS Connect Call Center at 1-800-616-1309.

WIC gives healthy food, breastfeeding support, nutrition education, and health referrals to pregnant and postpartum people, infants, and children up to age 5. The South Carolina Department of Public Health runs it through local health departments. Start with the online pre-application on the DPH WIC page, or call 1-855-472-3432 to make an in-person or phone appointment.

Healthy Connections is South Carolina Medicaid: free or low-cost health coverage run by the Department of Health and Human Services for children, pregnant people, low-income parents, older adults, and people with disabilities. South Carolina has not expanded Medicaid, so most adults without children do not qualify on low income alone. Apply online at apply.scdhhs.gov, or call the Member Contact Center at 1-888-549-0820, Monday through Friday, 8am to 6pm.

SC Thrive is a nonprofit that helps South Carolinians apply for benefits like SNAP and Healthy Connections Medicaid over the phone, at no cost. Call 1-800-726-8774 and choose Option 1 to check what you may qualify for and apply with help. Staff assist in English and Spanish, so this is a good first call if the online forms feel like too much on your own.

South Carolina has a state Earned Income Tax Credit worth 125 percent of your federal EITC, fully phased in since the 2023 tax year. It is nonrefundable, so it lowers the state income tax you owe but does not pay out as a refund beyond that. Claim it with form TC-60 on your South Carolina return. You generally must qualify for the federal EITC first.

Family Independence, South Carolina's TANF program, gives monthly cash assistance to low-income families with children through the Department of Social Services. Most adults take part in a TANF work program run through SC Works. Apply online through the DSS Benefits Portal at benefitsportal.dss.sc.gov, at your county DSS office, or by mail or fax. Call 1-800-616-1309 for a form or a case question.

Temporary weekly payments if you lost work through no fault of your own, from the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce. File your claim online through the MyBenefits portal at dew.sc.gov, which is the fastest way. For help, call 1-866-831-1724, or use Relay 711. You must file a weekly claim to keep payments coming.

South Carolina Legal Services provides free civil legal help to low-income residents on housing and eviction, family, public benefits, consumer, and other noncriminal matters. Call the statewide intake line at 1-888-346-5592, or apply online at lawhelp.org/sc. A lawyer or paralegal screens your income and problem, and after you apply your local office usually contacts you within 5 to 7 business days.

Dial 2-1-1 from any South Carolina phone, or call 1-866-892-9211, for free, confidential help finding local assistance with housing, utilities, food, healthcare, and more. SC 211 is operated by the United Way Association of South Carolina and answers around the clock, every day. You can also text HELP or AYUDA to 211-211, or search at sc211.org.