South Carolina benefits and support programs

Healthy Bucks

Run by South Carolina Department of Social Services

When to apply

No fixed closing date when we checked.

Official page (dss.sc.gov)Checked October 17, 2026

Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program

Run by South Carolina Department of Social Services

Documents to prepare

• Proof of identity (a valid South Carolina driver's license or state-issued ID card), needed to apply and to pick up checks

Official page (dss.sc.gov)Checked October 17, 2026

SNAP

Run by South Carolina Department of Social Services

Documents to prepare

• Identification of the person applying and of any authorized representative (driver's license, state ID, work or school ID, health benefits ID)
• Social Security numbers for each person applying
• Income (pay stubs for the last four weeks, the most current tax return, the last four weeks of child support, award letters for unemployment, Social Security, retirement)
• Household expenses (lease, rent or mortgage receipts, utility bills)
• Medical expenses for anyone disabled or age 60 and over (medical bills, prescription co-pays, insurance premium receipts, mileage)
• Non-citizens: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services documents

Official page (dss.sc.gov)Checked October 21, 2026

LIHEAP - Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program

Run by South Carolina Office of Economic Opportunity

Documents to prepare

• At minimum: proof of U.S. citizenship (or qualified immigrant status) for all household members; proof of primary physical residence in South Carolina (government-issued ID); gross income for the last 30 days for all household members 18 and older; a need at the time of application (for example, an energy bill that is due, in the name of an adult household member). Your local Community Action Agency (CAA) may require more

Official page (oeo.sc.gov)Checked October 18, 2026

Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) - S.C. Office of Economic Opportunity

Who it is for

South Carolina residents who need help with home energy costs, with income at or below e.g. $31,920 per year (1 person) to $111,440 (8 persons); SSI or Aid to Families with Dependent Children recipients are income eligible; preference to elderly 60+, disabled, children under 18.

Official page (oeo.sc.gov)Checked October 27, 2026

Healthy Connections Medicaid

Run by South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services

Documents to prepare

• Information to have ready for everyone in the household: date of birth, Social Security number, income from jobs or training, current or past benefits (Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), veteran's benefits, child support), money in checking and savings and other resources, monthly rent or mortgage and utility bills, payments for adult or child care, current health coverage

Official page (scdhhs.gov)Checked October 18, 2026

First Steps 4K (free full-day four-year-old kindergarten)

Who it is for

To qualify, a child must be age eligible, income eligible, and a South Carolina resident.

Official page (scfirststeps.org)Checked October 27, 2026

Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits - SC Department of Employment and Workforce

Who it is for

People who lost their job through no fault of their own and are able to work, available for work and actively seeking work; apply where the employer resides or wages are earned, not where you have residence.

Official page (dew.sc.gov)Checked October 27, 2026

SC Lottery Tuition Assistance Program (LTAP, two-year colleges)

Run by South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE)

Who it is for

South Carolina residents at two-year public or independent institutions.

Official page (che.sc.gov)Checked October 24, 2026

SC WINS (SC Workforce Industry Needs Scholarship, technical college scholarship)

Run by South Carolina Technical College System

Who it is for

South Carolina residents enrolled in an eligible program at one of the 16 SC technical colleges.

Official page (sctechsystem.edu)Checked October 24, 2026

Family Caregiver Support Program (SC Department on Aging)

Who it is for

Adult family/informal caregivers of individuals 60+ who need help with activities of daily living, or of any age with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia; relatives 55+ (not parents) caring for children under 18; relatives 55+ (including parents) caring for adults 18-59 with disabilities.

Official page (aging.sc.gov)Checked October 27, 2026

State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) - South Carolina Department on Aging

Who it is for

Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers (free, one-on-one insurance counseling).

Official page (aging.sc.gov)Checked October 26, 2026

Vocational Rehabilitation (South Carolina Commission for the Blind)

Who it is for

Eligible SC residents who are blind or low vision: documentation of legal blindness (20/200 in the better eye or visual field of 20 degrees or less) or a progressive eye condition that may result in legal blindness within 24 months; want competitive employment; require VR services.

Official page (sccb.sc.gov)Checked October 26, 2026

SC Tuition Assistance for Certain War Veterans' Children

Who it is for

Children 26 years of age or younger of qualifying wartime Veterans (e.g., killed in action, prisoner of war, permanently and totally disabled, Purple Heart, Medal of Honor) who meet South Carolina residency requirements and are pursuing an undergraduate degree.

Official page (scdva.sc.gov)Checked October 27, 2026

SCDSS Refugee Resettlement Program

Who it is for

Refugees admitted by USRAP and approved to receive benefits and services, plus ORR-eligible populations: asylees, Cuban/Haitian entrants, Amerasians, trafficking victims, survivors of torture, SIVs, Ukrainian and Afghan humanitarian parolees.

Official page (dss.sc.gov)Checked October 26, 2026

Legal Assistance for Older Adults (SC Department on Aging, Title III-B)

Who it is for

Older individuals (60 years of age and older) within the state who are of greatest economic or social need, with particular attention to low-income minority older individuals, those with limited English proficiency, and those in rural areas.

Official page (aging.sc.gov)Checked October 27, 2026

SC DSS Domestic Violence Program (24/7 hotline and regional domestic violence programs)

Run by South Carolina Department of Social Services

When to apply

No fixed closing date when we checked.

Official page (dss.sc.gov)Checked October 18, 2026