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8 1.6.1 TANF Benefits South Carolina provides TANF benefits through three methods: (1) Paper checks – for recipients who have demonstrated electronic card misuse or recipients without the appropriate demographic information to establish a bank account; (2) Deposit into a debit account with a branded MasterCard (ePay); and (3) Direct deposit into a personal account by state procedure, limited to non- parents with custody of the TANF eligible child(ren).
South Carolina does not use Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) for cash programs.
TANF recipient payments delivered electronically to debit accounts, called ePay, are set up by a contracted vendor. The only funds deposited in the account are those issued by DSS and can be accessed only by the debit card. ePay accounts are governed by FDIC regulations. In South Carolina, any TANF recipient, without the appropriate demographic information, will receive benefits in the form of a paper check.
Instructional material and information regarding the ePay cards, TANF restrictions, benefit access, customer service, fees, etc., are issued, upon approval, to recipients in a cardholder “Welcome Packet” by our contractor.
1.6.2 Benefit Access and Fee Information A. South Carolina recipients receive information on how to access benefits without paying fees as well as applicable fees and surcharge information. The recipient is free to choose the most advantageous and safest method to access his/her benefits. Access to benefits is not limited to locations at which cash is provided. Recipients may access benefits at automated teller machines (ATM) or use Point-of-Sale (POS) devices to make purchases at locations that accept MasterCard. Recipients have free access when the ePay card is used in transactions at U. S. merchants and retailers or when they receive cash back with a purchase. POS transactions allow “cash-back” options at no additional charge.
B. Recipients are allowed free, teller-assisted “over the counter” cash transactions at any bank or credit union that accepts MasterCard for the dollar amount of the recipient’s choosing. Recipients are allowed two ATM cash withdrawals for no fee per month at MoneyPass® ATMs. A $1.50 fee will be assessed for each additional ATM withdrawal. Out-of-Network ATM withdrawals will also assess $1.50 fee for withdrawals not conducted at MoneyPass® ATMs. ATM owners and operators may charge an additional fee called “surcharge” or “convenience fee” to use their ATM. DSS state office staff review the fees charged monthly in order to monitor and evaluate the