COLUMBIA, S.C. – For the first time in SC, a report takes a look at how much money is actually needed to support a family in SC without private or public assistance.
Food, transportation, child care, and tax credits are a few examples of basic family needs measured by the first “Self-Sufficiency Standard for SC” written by Dr. Diana Pearce.
The Standard calculates the lowest hourly wage a household can make to pay for basic needs, while accounting for the number of children in the household, and their age. It also calculates regional costs and reflects modern family practices to show the variation throughout the state.
To see the minimum hourly wage the Standard calculated to be self-sufficient in your county, click here.
In a press conference at the Statehouse on Tuesday, creators of the report said they hope to improve eligibility guidelines for government assistance, by breaking down family needs deeper than the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
“The Standard is based on the costs of all basic needs of a working family,” the report says. “Not just food, but also housing, child care, health care, transportation, miscellaneous costs, plus taxes and tax credits.”
Real economic independence is the goal of the report.
The report is published by United Way Association of South Carolina, University of Washington – Center for Women’s Welfare, and numerous statewide partners.
