COLUMBIA, S.C. — Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) received a waiver to provide emergency SNAP funds.
DSS received a federal waiver from the United States Department of Agriculture to provide two months of emergency SNAP supplements to address temporary food needs for SNAP households, according to the organization.
The emergency supplement will bring households to the maximum benefit amount, no matter income. According to the release, households who already receive the maximum benefit will not receive this emergency supplement.
These funds will be issued on the household EBT card. Additional supplements will be placed on the card on March 28. April benefits will arrive as normally scheduled with the emergency allotment.
Program rules, including verification of income, are not waived due to this emergency supplement process, according to DSS.
Newly approved SNAP cases will receive the maximum allotment level for March and April.
Emergency supplements for March will affect an estimated 176,000 households (about 66% of the total households currently receiving SNAP.)