Government Benefits in South Carolina

Where South Carolina residents apply for SNAP, Medicaid, home energy assistance, and unemployment insurance, plus every nationwide program available to everyone.

4 South Carolina Programs

How This Works

SNAP, Medicaid, LIHEAP, and unemployment insurance are all administered at the state level, so each state runs its own application portal and sets some of its own rules — including, for Medicaid, whether the state expanded eligibility to more adults under the Affordable Care Act, and for unemployment insurance, the maximum weekly benefit and how long you can collect it. The cards below link you straight to South Carolina's official application system for each program. Exact SNAP/Medicaid income limits change with annual poverty-guideline updates, so we intentionally don't publish a specific number for those — the portal will show your exact cutoff for your household size. Unemployment insurance figures below are official published caps from the U.S. Department of Labor, current as of January 2026.

SNAP

SC Dept. of Social Services

The portal also screens for Healthy Connections (Medicaid) and other DSS programs.

Apply on SC DSS Benefits Portal ↗

Healthy Connections (Medicaid)

Medicaid Not Expanded

SC Dept. of Health & Human Services

South Carolina has not expanded Medicaid, so adults without dependent children generally do not qualify regardless of income.

Apply for Healthy Connections ↗

LIHEAP (Home Energy Assistance)

SC Office of Economic Opportunity

Administered through community action agencies statewide.

Find Your Local LIHEAP Provider ↗

Unemployment Insurance

Has Waiting Week

SC Dept. of Employment & Workforce

Max Weekly

$350

Min Weekly

$42

Max Duration

up to 20 weeks

Based on half of your highest quarter's average weekly wage.

File a Claim ↗

Looking for more programs available to South Carolina residents?

South Carolina residents also qualify for every nationwide program on our full benefits tool — WIC, Lifeline phone/internet discounts, ACA health insurance subsidies, SSI, SSDI, Section 8, VA disability compensation, TANF, Pell Grants, Head Start, and unemployment insurance.

See All 16 Programs →