Hurricane Helene SNAP Replacement Benefits Update- October 11, 2024

Hurricane Helene SNAP Replacement Benefits Update- October 11, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Hurricane Helene SNAP Replacement Benefits Update- October 11, 2024

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved South Carolina's waiver request allowing DSS to automatically issue replacement benefits to current SNAP recipients residing in counties where 50% or more of the total population experienced a power outage lasting more than four (4) hours during Hurricane Helene.

SNAP recipients residing in the 28 counties listed below will automatically be issued a replacement of 55% of their September benefits, as determined by the federal government, and no longer need to individually apply for a replacement of their SNAP benefits.

Abbeville Aiken Allendale Anderson Bamberg Barnwell

Calhoun Cherokee Chester Colleton Edgefield Fairfield

Greenville Greenwood Hampton Jasper Laurens Lexington

McCormick Newberry Oconee Orangeburg Pickens Richland

Saluda Spartanburg Union York

Replacement SNAP Benefits will go out to EBT cards electronically on or before Tuesday, October 15^th. **Calling or visiting your local DSS County Office will not speed of the process of the replacement benefits being added to a household's EBT card.**

USDA/FNS did not approve automatic replacements for Marion County, as the numbers of electricity outages reported by the local utility providers did not reach the 50% threshold. SNAP recipients residing in Marion County can still apply individually for replacement of their benefits until October 26^th.

SNAP Individual Replacement:

SNAP recipients residing in counties that are not included in the federal mass replacement waiver are still able to apply individually for replacement of their benefits. SNAP households residing in the counties listed below have until October 26, 2024, to report food loss resulting from Hurricane Helene.

Beaufort Berkeley Charleston Chesterfield Clarendon

Darlington Dillon Dorchester Florence Georgetown

Horry Kershaw Lancaster Lee Marion

Marlboro Sumter Williamsburg

Clients in these counties not included in the federal mass replacement waiver can download and complete an Affidavit of Loss Due To A Household Misfortune (DSS Form 1634B) from the SC Department of Social Services website (click here to download). In addition to the DSS Form 1634B, applicants must provide some form of verification to substantiate that their homes were in the affected areas. Types of verification include:

• Newspaper Article
• Letter from the Red Cross or a Food Bank
• Website Printout Showing Outage or Loss (Examples: News website or power company notification of account outage)
• Letter from a Landlord
• Letter from an Insurance Company
• Letter from the Electric Company

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