The South Carolina Department on Aging funds free legal advice and representation by an attorney for people 60 and older, through the Area Agencies on Aging. Help goes first to people with the greatest economic or social need. Legal help can cover income protection, health care, long-term care, nutrition, housing, utilities, protective services, guardianship or defense against guardianship, abuse, neglect, and age discrimination. The Department on Aging also offers free living will and health care power of attorney forms. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging or call the Department on Aging at 1-800-868-9095.

Estimated service value: $0–$2,000 a year

The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) gives free, one-on-one insurance counseling to people with Medicare, their families, and caregivers. SHIP counselors answer Medicare questions, help compare and enroll in Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans, explain Medigap and retiree coverage, help with Medicaid, Medicare Savings Programs, and Low-Income Subsidies, and help resolve billing problems and appeals. Call the South Carolina Department on Aging at 1-800-868-9095 or contact your local Area Agency on Aging.

Estimated service value: $100–$2,000 a year

SCSEP places low-income job seekers age 55 and older into paid part-time community service assignments at nonprofits and public agencies — schools, libraries, food pantries, senior centers, parks departments, and similar host sites. Participants typically work 20 hours per week and earn at least the federal, state, or local minimum wage (in California, $16.50/hour in 2026, which works out to roughly $17,000 per year before taxes). The placement is paired with skills training, computer literacy, resume help, and one-on-one coaching aimed at moving the participant into unsubsidized employment within the broader job market. SCSEP is administered nationally by the Department of Labor and locally by AARP Foundation, the National Council on Aging, Goodwill, the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, and state agencies; coverage exists in every California county though slot availability and the host-site mix vary by grantee.

Estimated cash: $15,000–$17,000 a year

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps households pay home heating and cooling bills. In South Carolina, LIHEAP is run through local Community Action Agencies, not by the state office. Income must be at or below 60% of the State Median Income: $2,660 a month for one person, $3,486.42 for two, $4,306.75 for three, and $5,127.08 for four. You need proof of citizenship or qualified immigrant status, a South Carolina ID, 30 days of gross income for adults in the home, and a current energy bill in an adult's name. LIHEAP does not pay water or sewer bills. Help depends on available funds. Contact the Community Action Agency for your county to apply.

Estimated bill savings: $300–$1,000 a year

Funded under Older Americans Act Title III-C1 and run locally by Area Agencies on Aging, the Congregate Nutrition Program serves hot meals to seniors age 60 and older at senior centers, community centers, places of worship, and similar gathering sites. Most sites serve lunch on weekdays; some serve dinner or weekend meals as well. There is no income test. A voluntary contribution (typically $2–$4 per meal) is suggested but never required, and no senior is turned away for inability or unwillingness to contribute. Beyond the meal itself, sites typically offer health screenings, nutrition counseling, social activities, transportation assistance, and a built-in social network that reduces the isolation that contributes to depression and accelerated cognitive decline in older adults.

Estimated service value: $1,000–$2,500 a year

CSFP gives low-income adults 60 and older a free monthly box of nutritious USDA foods — items like canned fruits and vegetables, juice, cereal, pasta, peanut butter, canned protein, and cheese. It's meant to round out the diet, not replace all groceries. You qualify at 60 or older with household income at or below 130% of the federal poverty level. CSFP operates in most (but not all) states and tribal areas, and some local sites keep a waiting list when boxes are full.

Estimated service value: $240–$600 a year

Federally authorized under the Older Americans Act and locally operated by Area Agencies on Aging and Meals on Wheels affiliates, the Home-Delivered Meals Program brings hot or frozen meals — typically five to seven per week — to seniors age 60 and older who are homebound or have difficulty preparing meals safely on their own. There is no income test; the program is open to all qualifying seniors regardless of wealth. A voluntary contribution is suggested (a few dollars per meal) but never required, and no senior is turned away for inability or unwillingness to pay. Beyond the meals themselves, the daily home visit functions as a wellness check — drivers are trained to notice changes in health, mood, or living conditions and to alert local care coordinators when something looks wrong.

Estimated service value: $1,500–$4,000 a year

SFMNP gives low-income seniors annual vouchers — roughly $40 per eligible person in California in 2026 — to buy fresh, unprepared, locally-grown fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey at participating farmers' markets, roadside stands, and community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs. The federal program is funded by USDA and distributed locally by the California Department of Food and Agriculture through county and nonprofit partners (food banks, area agencies on aging, senior centers). Vouchers are typically distributed once per year between May and October. SFMNP is small in dollar value relative to other senior benefits but pairs well with SNAP because it lets recipients buy farmers'-market produce that traditional grocery-store benefits don't always cover well.

Estimated cash: $35–$50 a year

SNAP (formerly food stamps) puts money on a card each month to buy groceries. Households with a member who is 60 or older (or who has a disability) get special rules: only the net-income test applies, medical expenses over $35 a month can be deducted, and the countable-asset limit is higher at $4,500. Many seniors who assume they earn too much still qualify once those deductions are counted. Benefits average well over $1,000 a year for a single senior. You apply through your state's SNAP office; many states offer a simplified application for seniors.

Estimated cash: $280–$2,400 a year

SNAP gives a monthly benefit on an EBT card to buy groceries. In South Carolina, a household's gross monthly income generally cannot exceed 130% of the federal poverty level: $1,696 for one person, $2,292 for two, and $2,888 for three. Households with someone 60 or older or disabled only have to meet a net income limit ($1,305 for one person, $1,763 for two) after deductions, and may have up to $4,500 in resources. People 65 or older with no earned income can use a shorter mail-in form through the Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP). Apply online through the DSS Benefits Portal, in person, or by mail or fax.

Estimated cash: $300–$3,500 a year

Healthy Connections is South Carolina's Medicaid program. The Aged, Blind or Disabled (ABD) group covers people who are 65 or older, blind, or living with a disability. People who qualify get all Medicaid covered services, such as doctor visits, hospital care, and prescriptions. Income must be at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level: $1,330 a month for one person or $1,804 for two (effective March 1, 2026). Resources must be $9,950 or less for one person or $14,910 for two (effective January 1, 2026). Apply online, by mail or fax, or at your local county office.

Estimated service value: $2,000–$15,000 a year

CHAMPVA is the VA's health-care program for spouses, surviving spouses, and dependent children of veterans who are rated 100% permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected condition, who died of a service-connected condition, or who died on active duty. CHAMPVA shares the cost of covered services — inpatient and outpatient care, prescriptions, durable medical equipment, mental health, and skilled nursing care — typically paying 75% of the VA-allowable amount after a small annual deductible. Once a beneficiary becomes Medicare-eligible at 65, CHAMPVA functions as a secondary payer that picks up most of what Medicare doesn't cover, including Part B coinsurance and many Part D-equivalent prescriptions. CHAMPVA is administered out of the VA Health Administration Center in Denver and is separate from TRICARE; a person eligible for TRICARE cannot use CHAMPVA.

Estimated bill savings: $3,000–$15,000 a year

SHIP provides free, unbiased, one-on-one Medicare counseling to anyone with Medicare and to their families and caregivers. A trained SHIP counselor — not a salesperson and not paid on commission — will sit down with you to compare Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Part D drug plans, and Medigap policies, sort out enrollment deadlines and late-enrollment penalties, untangle a denied claim or an appeal, and check whether you qualify for cost-saving programs like the Medicare Savings Programs or Extra Help. There is no income test and the service is always free. SHIP is run by the federal Administration for Community Living and delivered through a local office in every state — in California it is called HICAP, in Florida it is called SHINE — so the counselor knows both the national rules and the local plans available where you live.

VA Health Care covers primary care, specialty care, mental health, hospital stays, prescriptions, and preventive services at the nationwide network of VA medical centers and community-based outpatient clinics. Most veterans with an other-than-dishonorable discharge are eligible to enroll. After enrollment the VA assigns the veteran a Priority Group (1 through 8) based on service-connected disability rating, special circumstances (former POW, Purple Heart, catastrophic disability), and income relative to the geographic-means-test threshold. Priority Groups 1 through 5 receive most care at no cost; higher priority groups pay copays that are still well below typical Medicare and private-insurance cost-sharing. VA Health Care does not replace Medicare for most senior veterans — most enroll in both — but it can substantially reduce out-of-pocket costs for care received at VA facilities, especially prescriptions ($0–$11 per fill versus typical Medicare Part D copays).

Estimated bill savings: $5,000–$20,000 a year

The Housing Choice Voucher program (commonly called Section 8) helps very-low-income households rent housing in the private market. The household generally pays about 30% of its adjusted income toward rent and the voucher covers the rest, up to a local payment standard, so housing cost scales to income instead of market rent. Unlike Section 202, a voucher is not tied to one building — it can be used at any rental whose owner accepts it and that meets program rent and quality standards, and in California source-of-income discrimination law requires most landlords to consider voucher holders. Vouchers are administered by local Public Housing Agencies, each with its own waiting list; many California PHAs maintain senior or senior/disabled preference categories. The benefit is large in high-rent California markets, but voucher waiting lists are among the longest of any benefit — frequently 5 to 10+ years, and many are closed except during brief lottery openings.

Estimated bill savings: $8,000–$20,000 a year

Section 202 funds nonprofit-owned apartment communities built specifically for low-income seniors age 62 and older, paired with on-site supportive services (a service coordinator, transportation, meal programs, light housekeeping referrals) designed to let residents age in place. Residents generally pay 30% of their adjusted income toward rent and HUD covers the rest, so the out-of-pocket housing cost scales down with income rather than tracking market rent. For a low-income senior in a high-rent California market this is one of the largest single dollar-value benefits available — but Section 202 properties are individually owned, have limited units, and almost always carry multi-year waiting lists, so it is best understood as something to get on the list for now rather than a benefit that starts quickly.

Estimated bill savings: $5,000–$15,000 a year

SSI is a federal monthly cash benefit for people 65 and older (or blind / disabled at any age) with very limited income and resources. It's a separate program from Social Security retirement — you can qualify for SSI even if you never worked enough to get Social Security, and many people qualify for both. Some states add a State Supplementary Payment (SSP) on top of the federal benefit — in California that adds several thousand dollars a year. SSI is also a gateway: it can automatically open the door to Medicaid, SNAP, and Extra Help.

Estimated cash: $11,928–$17,892 a year

Optional State Supplementation (OSS) helps people who live in an approved, licensed Community Residential Care Facility (assisted living) pay for their care. It is for people who are at least 65, blind, or disabled and who meet SSI rules except for income. People who qualify get full Medicaid benefits, and the state pays a cash assistance payment to the facility. Monthly net income may not exceed $1,804, and resources must not exceed $2,000 (2026). The facility must be enrolled with SCDHHS in the OSS program. Apply online through Healthy Connections, by mail or fax, or at your local county office.

Estimated cash: $2,000–$15,000 a year

PACE provides all the medical and long-term care an older adult needs to keep living at home instead of moving to a nursing home — doctors, prescriptions, adult day health, in-home aides, therapy, and transportation, all coordinated by one team. To join you must be 55 or older, live in a PACE organization's service area, need a nursing-home level of care (certified by the state), and be able to live safely in the community with PACE's help. For people who have both Medicare and Medicaid, PACE is usually free; others may pay a monthly premium.

Estimated service value: $6,000–$40,000 a year

The Community Choices waiver helps people who need nursing-home-level care get help at home instead. It serves frail older adults (65 and older) and adults 18 to 64 with physical disabilities who meet nursing facility level of care. Services include case management, personal care, attendant care, companion care, home-delivered meals, adult day health care, respite, a personal emergency response system, home accessibility changes, and medical equipment and supplies. Medicaid income must be at or below 300% of the SSI Federal Benefit Rate ($2,982 a month for one person in 2026). Call CLTC Centralized Intake at 1-888-971-1637 or make a referral online to start.

Estimated service value: $5,000–$30,000 a year

Extra Help (also called the Part D Low-Income Subsidy or LIS) lowers your prescription drug costs under Medicare Part D. It can pay your Part D premium, cap copays at a few dollars per prescription, and eliminate the coverage gap. The Social Security Administration estimates Extra Help is worth about $5,300 a year for people who qualify. It's frequently bundled with QMB / SLMB / QI but you can apply independently.

Estimated premium savings: $4,000–$5,300 a year

QI is the top income tier of the Medicare Savings Programs. Like SLMB, it pays the Medicare Part B premium (around $202.90/month, roughly $2,435/year) — but for households whose income is too high for SLMB. Eligibility falls between 120% and 135% of the federal poverty level. QI funding is a federal block grant awarded on a first-come, first-served basis each calendar year, and enrollment must be renewed every year. QI is mutually exclusive with full Medicaid — anyone already receiving Medicaid benefits is not eligible for QI, but Medicaid typically covers the Part B premium directly instead.

Estimated premium savings: about $2,435 a year

QMB pays your Medicare Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. If you qualify, you should not be billed for any Medicare-covered services. It's the most generous of the four Medicare Savings Programs and is widely under-enrolled — the federal government estimates millions of eligible Americans are not enrolled.

Estimated premium savings: $2,435–$3,500 a year

SLMB pays your Medicare Part B premium (currently around $202.90/month, ~$2,435/year) if your income is too high for QMB but still below 120% of the federal poverty level. It's the middle tier of the Medicare Savings Programs and is widely under-enrolled — when income is just above the QMB cutoff, SLMB usually applies. Asset limits are the same as QMB.

Estimated premium savings: about $2,435 a year

Medicare Savings Programs help people with Medicare Part A pay Medicare costs. QMB pays Medicare premiums, co-pays, and deductibles. SLMB and QI pay the Medicare Part B premium. South Carolina's monthly income limits (effective March 1, 2026) are QMB $1,330 / $1,804 (one person / couple), SLMB $1,596 / $2,164, and QI $1,796 / $2,435. Countable resources must be below $9,950 for one person or $14,910 for a couple. Apply online through Healthy Connections, by mail or fax, or at your local county office.

Estimated premium savings: $2,100–$5,200 a year

A Long-Term Care Ombudsman is a free, confidential advocate for anyone who lives in a nursing home, assisted living community, or board-and-care home — and for their family. If you or a loved one is a resident, the Ombudsman will listen to concerns about care quality, safety, dignity, resident rights, billing, or a discharge or eviction notice, and then work directly with the facility to resolve them. They can sit in on care-plan meetings, explain your rights as a resident, and escalate serious problems to state regulators. The service is independent of the facility, costs nothing, and the Ombudsman works only for the resident — never the home. This is the program to call before you tour a facility, when a placement is being arranged, or any time something feels wrong in a current placement.

Title III-E of the Older Americans Act funds support specifically for the family members and informal caregivers who look after an older adult — not the senior, the person caring for them. Through the local Area Agency on Aging, an unpaid family caregiver (an adult child, a spouse, or another relative) of a person 60 and older can access respite care that gives them a break, individual counseling and caregiver support groups, training on safe transfers, medication management and dementia care, information and assistance navigating other programs, and limited supplemental services like consumable supplies or minor home modifications. There is no income test for the caregiver. Caregiver burnout is one of the leading reasons a senior ends up institutionalized, so this program protects both the caregiver's health and the senior's ability to stay home.

Estimated service value: $1,000–$5,000 a year

Title III-B of the Older Americans Act funds a broad menu of non-medical supportive services that help seniors age 60 and older stay independent in their own homes and communities. Through the local Area Agency on Aging, eligible seniors can access subsidized or free transportation to medical appointments and grocery stores, homemaker and chore help, personal care, friendly-visitor and telephone-reassurance programs, adult day care, home repair and modification (grab bars, ramps), legal assistance for non-criminal matters like benefits appeals and consumer fraud, and case management to coordinate all of it. There is no income test, though local agencies target services to those in greatest social and economic need and a voluntary contribution may be requested. The same Area Agency on Aging that runs senior meals administers these services, so one phone call opens the door to the whole package.

Estimated service value: $500–$3,000 a year

The Senior Medicare Patrol helps people with Medicare — and their families and caregivers — spot, stop, and report Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse. A trained SMP team member will help you read a confusing Medicare Summary Notice or Explanation of Benefits, check whether you were billed for a service or device you never received, recognize the phone and door-to-door scams that target seniors (fake 'new Medicare card' calls, free-brace or free-test schemes), and report anything suspicious to the right investigators. The service is free and available to everyone on Medicare regardless of income. SMP is run by the federal Administration for Community Living and operates a local program in every state. Catching one bogus charge can save you hundreds of dollars and protects the Medicare Trust Fund for everyone.

The Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled is a nonrefundable federal income tax credit, claimed on IRS Schedule R, for taxpayers who are age 65 or older (or who are permanently and totally disabled) and have low income. The maximum credit is $750 for a single filer and up to $1,125 for a married couple (both age 65 or older), but the actual amount is reduced — often to zero — by any nontaxable Social Security benefits and by adjusted gross income above a low threshold. Because the income limits have not been updated since the 1980s, the credit most often produces a real dollar benefit for low-income seniors whose income comes from small pensions or wages rather than Social Security, and for people under 65 retired on permanent disability. It is one of the most under-claimed line items on the senior tax return, in part because the seniors it targets frequently are not required to file at all.

Estimated bill savings: $0–$1,125 a year

South Carolina's Homestead Exemption removes property taxes on the first $50,000 of the fair market value of your legal residence. For Tax Year 2026 only, the state raised the exemption from $50,000 to $75,000. You qualify if you own your home (or hold a life estate, or are the beneficiary of a trust that holds title), have lived in South Carolina as your legal residence for a full calendar year as of December 31 before the tax year, and are at least 65, totally and permanently disabled, or legally blind. Apply at your County Auditor's Office. You do not need to reapply each year unless you move.

Estimated bill savings: $150–$900 a year

South Carolina residents can take a $15,000 deduction against any South Carolina income starting in the tax year they turn 65. People 65 or older can also deduct up to $10,000 of qualified retirement income from their own plan (up to $3,000 if under 65), but any retirement deduction reduces the $15,000 age deduction. Social Security and railroad retirement taxed on the federal return are not taxed by South Carolina. Claim the deductions on your SC1040 state income tax return.

Estimated bill savings: $0–$800 a year

Federal Lifeline is a Universal Service Fund program that discounts a single phone or internet (or bundled) service line by $9.25 per month for low-income households — and by up to $34.25 per month for residents of qualifying Tribal lands. Eligibility has two paths: an income test (household income at or below 135% of the federal poverty level) and a program-based path (current participation in Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, federal public housing assistance, or the Veterans Pension or Survivors Pension Benefit). Either path qualifies the household — both don't have to be met. The federal Lifeline discount is separate from but designed to stack with California LifeLine, so most California seniors who qualify for one will qualify for the other.

Estimated bill savings: $111–$411 a year

WAP funds free home energy upgrades for income-eligible households to reduce energy bills, improve comfort, and address health-and-safety hazards. After a free professional energy audit, local providers install whatever the audit identifies — typically attic and wall insulation, air-sealing, weatherstripping, duct sealing, water-heater wraps, LED lighting, smart thermostats, refrigerator replacement (for very old high-draw units), HVAC tune-ups or replacement, ventilation upgrades, and carbon-monoxide detector installation. Households that get weatherized save an average of $372 or more a year on energy bills, according to the Department of Energy. WAP is open to homeowners AND renters (rental units require landlord written consent). The program is one-time per home (typically), though homes can sometimes be re-weatherized after 15 years if a new audit identifies additional measures. WAP is funded primarily by the U.S. Department of Energy with additional layered funding from HHS (LIHEAP-Wx) and state utility programs, all delivered by the same local providers.

Estimated bill savings: $3,000–$8,000 a year

Aid & Attendance is a tax-free monthly benefit added on top of the basic VA pension for wartime veterans (or their surviving spouses) who need help with daily activities like bathing, dressing, eating, or managing medications — or who are housebound, in a nursing facility, or have very limited eyesight. The benefit is widely under-claimed because many veterans assume their non-service-connected condition disqualifies them. Eligibility requires the veteran to have served at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a recognized wartime period, plus income and net worth below VA limits. VA uses a special income calculation that subtracts unreimbursed medical expenses from gross income before applying the limit — so the income test here is approximate.

Estimated cash: $12,000–$34,488 a year