SC grocery aid no longer covers candy, sodas, other sugary foods

COLUMBIA — Grocery assistance in South Carolina no longer covers candy, sodas and other sugary drinks after a change in the program took effect Sunday.

Last year, at the direction of Gov. Henry McMaster, the state asked for a waiver to exclude certain items considered unhealthy from the list of food and drinks people could buy using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps.

South Carolina was one of 23 states to receive federal approval for the change as part of the “make America healthy again” initiative, though the programs in five states are on pause as part of an ongoing lawsuit. The changes are set to last two years before officials decide whether to make them permanent.

Under the change, people can no longer use government aid to buy energy drinks, candy bars or certain sweetened beverages, including ready-made lemonade, tea, sweetened coffee and full-sugar soda.

The program already excluded alcohol, tobacco and hot, ready-to-eat meals sold in grocery stores.

Stores that accept SNAP were required to update their systems to exclude the ineligible items. If someone tries to check out with candy or sugary drinks, the system will prompt them to pay with a different method, according to the state Department of Social Services.

Still allowed are diet and zero-sugar sodas, granola bars, sports drinks, baked goods, and natural fruit and vegetable juices.

People making 130% of the federal poverty level or less, equal to $42,900 for a family of four, qualify for SNAP. Under changes included in last year’s major spending bill, childless adults without a disability must work at least 20 hours each week to receive benefits for more than three months.

Removal of sugary snacks and drinks from SC grocery benefits delayed after court order

In September, 223,375 households received SNAP benefits, according to the latest data from the Department of Social Services.

The changes were initially set to begin in August.

But the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the benefits, asked the state to push back the start date to review a ruling from a federal judge that found the program didn’t meet federal requirements.

In the lawsuit, people suing said they needed to be able to buy certain items labeled “unhealthy” for medical reasons. For instance, a woman with diabetes said she needed to buy sugary drinks to keep her blood sugar under control, and a man with insomnia and food allergies said he needed to buy low-sugar energy drinks to stay awake.

The USDA decided the ruling affected only the five states where the people who filed the lawsuit live, allowing South Carolina to remove certain items from the list starting Sunday.

The federal government has appealed the judge’s decision.

The change was meant to improve health outcomes for people who use the grocery assistance.

In his executive order directing South Carolina to participate, McMaster pointed to high rates of obesity and heart disease in the state, which can be linked to unhealthy eating.

Advocates for the poor have pushed back, saying people who use federal assistance can make their own choices about what to eat. Using government aid already comes with a stigma attached, and that only gets worse when people don’t have agency over their grocery shopping, advocates have said.