Shutdown Could Hurt 12,000 in County Who Receive SNAP Benefit Cuts
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
South Carolina’s poorest families are bracing for a hunger crisis as the federal government shutdown drags into its fourth week, threatening to cut off November’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for more than a quarter-million households across the state.
Almost 11,000 households which make up 22,657 individuals are expected to feel the pinch in Anderson County.
The South Carolina Department of Social Services (SCDSS) confirmed on Wednesday that it has been ordered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to hold all November SNAP benefit files “until further notice.” That directive raises fears that thousands of residents who depend on the monthly benefits to feed their families could see their only consistent source of grocery funds vanish next month.
According to SCDSS, over 260,000 South Carolina households rely on SNAP—formerly known as food stamps—to supplement their monthly food budgets. The program provides federally funded benefits that low-income families use to buy basic groceries at approved retailers. With the shutdown halting USDA funding, those benefits cannot legally be issued until Congress reaches a funding agreement and government operations resume.
“We want families to be prepared,” SCDSS said in a cautionary public notice. “Until the shutdown ends and we receive further guidance, we are unable to issue federally funded benefits for November.”
The loss of November SNAP benefits would hit South Carolina’s poorest residents hardest—particularly single-parent households, the elderly, and people with disabilities who already struggle to cover rising food costs. Many local food banks are warning that demand could spike if benefits stop.
SCDSS is urging families to use any remaining benefits from their EBT cards carefully and to seek out local food pantries. The state has more than 900 food banks and food distribution centers, including major regional hubs such as: Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, serving Anderson, Oconee, and surrounding Upstate counties
These organizations remain open and are accepting donations of money and nonperishable goods.
SCDSS also cautioned families to protect their SNAP funds by locking their EBT cards when not in use and updating PIN numbers regularly. Because of federal restrictions, the agency cannot replace benefits that are electronically stolen.
The federal shutdown began September 30, when Congress failed to approve new funding legislation. Unless lawmakers reach an agreement soon, federal assistance programs like SNAP will remain paralyzed, leaving vulnerable South Carolinians to rely on charity and community support to put food on their tables.
