South Carolina Assistance Programs and Benefits
Free help finding assistance programs, from the Upstate to the Lowcountry
Hurricane season, a cut in hours or a hospital bill can throw a South Carolina household off course in a hurry. Helping Hands sorts through South Carolina assistance programs with you and shows how to reach the ones that fit.
Start by telling us what you need. We point you to the programs, the eligibility basics and the offices in South Carolina that can help.
Helping Hands covers all 46 counties in South Carolina. You could live in Charleston, Columbia or Greenville, in a Myrtle Beach rental, or on a back road in the Pee Dee. Our guidance costs you nothing.
South Carolinians find help through the Department of Social Services (SCDSS), Healthy Connections Medicaid, federal programs, food banks and community action agencies. We help you find the office that matches your need.
Check Your Eligibility for Free
Programs don't share one set of rules. Income, household size, age, disability, housing costs and work history can each change what you qualify for.
Helping Hands helps you learn which programs may fit and where to start.
South Carolina Financial Assistance Programs
A storm, a job loss or a sudden illness can empty a bank account in weeks. South Carolina families have several kinds of financial help to look at, depending on what they're facing.
If the basics have gotten hard to cover, we help you find resources that fit and show you where to apply.
Helping Hands can help you locate information about programs and resources involving:
South Carolina Food Assistance and SNAP Benefits
Groceries cost more than they used to, and a tight budget feels it first at the checkout line.
We break down South Carolina food assistance programs in plain language, beginning with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SCDSS puts your benefits on an EBT card, and you pay with it at stores that accept SNAP.
If you're worried about running out of food, a SNAP eligibility check makes a good first move.
You apply for SNAP and TANF cash help through the South Carolina Department of Social Services (SCDSS) on the DSS Benefits Portal. Healthy Connections Medicaid runs through the SC Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS).
We can also help South Carolina residents locate:
South Carolina Utility Bill Assistance
South Carolina summers keep air conditioners running for months, and power bills follow. Fall behind on electric, gas or water and you risk a shutoff.
Duke Energy, Dominion or a rural co-op customer? Qualifying South Carolina households can get help with those bills, and we show you the programs.
Resources may include information about:
LIHEAP Help in South Carolina: Heating and Cooling
The South Carolina Office of Economic Opportunity oversees the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps with heating and cooling costs.
Community action agencies take LIHEAP applications in every county. Funding, rules and application windows change, so confirm the current details with the agency near you.
We help you find that agency and start your application.
South Carolina Rental Assistance and Housing Assistance
Rents along the coast and around Greenville and Columbia have climbed, and one emergency can put you behind.
Behind on rent, facing eviction, looking for something affordable or afraid of losing your house? Programs and groups from Rock Hill to Beaufort may help, and we show you where to find them.
Helping Hands provides information about housing resources that may be available to qualifying South Carolina residents, including:
Section 8 and Housing Assistance in South Carolina
South Carolinians searching for affordable housing should learn about Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other subsidized rentals.
Housing authorities in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville and smaller towns run these programs, and each keeps its own wait list and rules.
Helping Hands can provide information and resources to help you understand:
South Carolina Eviction Assistance
Got an eviction notice or a late-rent warning? Act today. You have little time to respond once a landlord files.
South Carolina tenants can ask for rental assistance, eviction prevention, emergency shelter, legal aid and local community resources. Our job is showing you who offers each one.
Nonprofits, churches, legal aid offices and county agencies all step in for South Carolina renters, depending on the case.
Foreclosure Prevention Assistance in South Carolina
Homeowners who hit a hard stretch should review their options before missed payments start piling up.
South Carolina homeowners can reach foreclosure prevention and housing counseling through referrals we share.
If a missed payment has you scared, call your mortgage servicer early and speak with a HUD-approved housing counselor.
South Carolina Assistance for Seniors
Older South Carolinians may qualify for help with health care, meals, in-home services, housing, transportation and monthly bills.
For aging services, caregiver support and Medicare questions, call the South Carolina Department on Aging at 1-800-868-9095.
Helping Hands provides information about resources that may be available to older adults, including:
South Carolina Healthy Connections, Medicaid and Medicare Resources
Seniors, people with disabilities and low-income families carry the heaviest load when medical bills arrive.
Helping Hands helps you find information about Medicare, Healthy Connections Medicaid, health-care assistance and other medical resources that fit your situation.
Medicare and Healthy Connections follow different rules, so review the current requirements for the program you want.
Disability Assistance in South Carolina
South Carolinians living with a disability may qualify for specialized programs and community support.
Healthy Connections waivers, Social Security and local programs each set their own qualifications, so check each one on its own.
Helping Hands can help South Carolina residents locate information about resources involving:
Legal Assistance for South Carolina Residents
A denied benefit, a housing dispute or a debt problem sometimes needs a lawyer's help.
From Greenville to Charleston, South Carolinians who qualify can get legal aid and free legal resources, and we show you where.
South Carolina legal aid offices set their own rules on which clients they can serve.
Legal assistance may be particularly relevant for issues involving:
Education, Employment and Training Assistance
A bill paid this month won't fix next month. Better work might.
Helping Hands also shares education, job training and workforce resources, including SC Works centers, that can help South Carolinians earn steadier income.
Resources may include:
South Carolina Food Banks and Emergency Food Resources
Need food today? Food banks and pantries across South Carolina give out groceries and meals from the mountains to the coast.
Helping Hands helps you find food resources near you, including options for families, seniors, people with disabilities and anyone going through a short-term crisis.
Storm damage, an empty pantry or a disconnect notice? Dial 2-1-1 in South Carolina, and SC 211 will connect you with services in your county.
Assistance Available Throughout All 46 South Carolina Counties
Our guidance and program information cover all 46 counties in South Carolina, from Oconee in the mountains to Beaufort on the coast.
A few of the South Carolina places we serve:
- Charleston
- Columbia
- North Charleston
- Mount Pleasant
- Rock Hill
- Greenville
- Summerville
- Sumter
- Goose Creek
- Hilton Head Island
- Florence
- Spartanburg
- Myrtle Beach
- Aiken
- Anderson
- Greenville County
- Richland County
- Charleston County
- Horry County
- Spartanburg County
- And communities throughout South Carolina
From a North Charleston apartment to a farm outside Orangeburg, the help open to you depends on your household and the programs working in your county.
How Helping Hands Can Help
Tracking down the right program can mean a string of agencies, forms and wait lists.
Helping Hands works as your guide to the options open to South Carolinians.
Our goal is to help you:
- Identify programs that may match your situation.
- Understand basic eligibility requirements.
- Find the appropriate agency or organization.
- Learn where and how to apply.
- Locate additional resources if one program does not meet your needs.
No South Carolina resident pays for our help or resource information.
Need Help in South Carolina? Start Here.
Short on food, rent, power bills or medical costs? You don't have to find each program on your own.
Give us a sense of what's happening and we'll match you with South Carolina agencies and organizations that may help.
Common South Carolina Assistance Programs
Food & Nutrition
- SNAP / Food Stamps
- EBT information
- Food banks
- Food pantries
- Emergency food assistance
Housing
- Rental assistance
- Section 8
- Low-income housing
- Eviction assistance
- Foreclosure prevention
- Emergency housing
Utilities
- LIHEAP
- Electric assistance
- Gas assistance
- Utility bill assistance
Financial Assistance
- Emergency financial assistance
- Cash assistance
- Family assistance
- Single-parent resources
- Community grants and assistance
Health & Senior Services
- Medicare
- Healthy Connections (Medicaid)
- Senior assistance
- Disability resources
- Health-care assistance
Other Resources
- Legal assistance
- Education
- Job training
- Workforce resources
- Community services
Immediate South Carolina Assistance
Need help right now? Dial 2-1-1 to reach SC 211 for local help with food, shelter, utility bills and other emergencies.
For SNAP and TANF, contact the South Carolina Department of Social Services (SCDSS). For Medicaid, contact Healthy Connections at SCDHHS.
For aging and Medicare questions, call the South Carolina Department on Aging at 1-800-868-9095.
Save this page so the South Carolina program names and offices stay close at hand.
Take the first step today: check which South Carolina assistance programs could help you.
Helping Hands is a resource and information service. Program eligibility, availability, funding, and application requirements are determined by the applicable government agency, nonprofit organization, housing authority, or other program administrator. Providing information about a program does not guarantee eligibility or approval.
