Eligibility criteria
In order to qualify for this benefit program, you must be a resident of South Carolina, either pregnant or responsible for a child under 19 years of age, a US national, citizen, legal alien, or permanent resident, have low or very low income, and be either under-employed (working for very low wages), unemployed or about to become unemployed.

Description
The South Carolina Family Independence (FI) program provides assistance to needy families with children and provides parents or caretaker relatives with job preparation, work, and support services to enable them to leave the program and become self-reliant. It is the policy of the State of South Carolina that personal responsibility and parental responsibility must exist if citizens are to attain independence. The welfare system is based upon a reciprocal agreement between welfare recipients and taxpayers because it is to the benefit of the citizens of the State to transition recipients from welfare to work. The State will temporarily support needy parents if they will undertake appropriate steps to attain employment and self-reliance. Family Independence assists families to become economically independent, provides tools to achieve and maintain self-reliance, and deters abuse of the system through fair and meaningful sanctions.

Managing organization
South Carolina http://www.myscgov.com

Program contact information & web resources
To phone the South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) about Family Independence, please call:
800-768-5700

Or contact your local DSS county office:
http://www.state.sc.us/dss/contact/index.html