SNAP benefits for South Carolinians are set to run out. Here’s when
More than a quarter million households in South Carolina are being asked to brace for impact as their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are set to expire next month amid the ongoing federal government shutdown, according to the state department of social services.
On Oct. 10, the U.S. Department of Agriculture instructed the South Carolina Department of Social Services to halt SNAP benefits for more than 260,000 households in November unless Congress reaches a resolution that reopens the government, a news release said.
SNAP provides food benefits to low-income families and is America’s most extensive nutrition assistance program.
While the department continued SNAP benefits through October in South Carolina, it now warns that because benefits will be shut off as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, recipients should consider utilizing food banks.
In the event the shutdown ends, the department said it would look to the USDA for guidance on how to disburse future SNAP benefits, which may include full or partial payments, the release said.
In the meantime, however, SNAP recipients are encouraged to carefully budget any remaining funds on their EBT cards and to protect their benefits by locking their EBT cards when not in use, according to the release.
This story was originally published October 22, 2025 at 3:09 PM.
