South Carolina Code of Regulations
Chapter 114 - DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
Article 27 - FOOD STAMP ISSUANCE
Section 114-2750 - EBT Services Interaction

(1) When Program eligibility and benefit levels are established, each Food Stamp Program household will go through the following process:

(2) Through SCDSS' automated eligibility system, food stamp benefits are passed online to the EBT Contractor's database for immediate availability;

(3) Each Food Stamp Program household receives EBT training, its EBT card, and selects a PIN in the SCDSS office in the county where the household resides.

(1) Following Food Stamp Program eligibility approval, issuance of the EBT card, and PIN selection, a Food Stamp Program household is able to purchase eligible food at an authorized retail store by use of the EBT card and the PIN;

(2) Households are able to purchase eligible foods up to but not exceeding the amount of benefits in its EBT account;

(3) Retailers are required to provide other EBT services to households such as crediting an account when a household wishes to return items and performing manual food sales transaction in the event of system failure or the retailer does not have an online connection to the EBT Contractor's database. An example is a traveling authorized food vendor.

(1) Food Stamp Program households can obtain an account balance by use of a twenty-four (24) hour a day, seven (7) days a week toll free hotline operated by the EBT contractor. This number is made available to each household through brochures and other EBT related documents issued at training and it is also shown on the protective sleeve used to place the card in;

(2) Food Stamp Program households can report an EBT card as lost, damaged, or stolen by use of a twenty-four (24) hour a day, seven (7) days a week toll free hotline operated by the EBT contractor. Such a report will result in a replacement card being available to the household in the SCDSS county office within three (3) work days following the initial report;

(3) Food Stamp Program households may use their EBT card in any county within the State where EBT is used as the method of food stamp issuance. Households are not necessarily restricted to using the EBT card in the county of residence.