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

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 12^th and November 21^st 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 1^st, 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 2^nd and Friday, December 6^th to complete an eligibility interview. 

Beginning Sunday, December 8^th, 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 9^th and Friday, December 13^th to complete an eligibility interview. 

Households who applied for DSNAP between November 11^th and November 21^st 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 11^th and 13^th 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 517 Bull 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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