How much do family caregivers get paid in South Carolina?
South Carolina doesn't publish one flat rate — and we won't invent one.
Your pay comes out of a care budget that South Carolina sets from your relative's assessed needs. Any site quoting you a single South Carolina hourly figure is guessing. We get you the real number before you enroll.
What South Carolina pays family caregivers
Rates vary — check with the program.
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: South Carolina Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
What sets your number
self-directed with a required financial management services agency handling payroll/taxes (FMS vendor name not confirmed)
- Spouse can be paid?
- Sometimes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Yes
- Waitlist
- Some programs have no waitlist.
Where the money comes from
This is Medicaid money, not a grant and not a charity. In South Carolina it runs through Community Choices Waiver (self-directed), Medically Complex Children Waiver, administered by South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS), Community Long Term Care (CLTC) — Healthy Connections 888-549-0820
1.1 million people in South Carolina — 20% of the state — are 65 or older, spread across 46 counties. The programs on this page exist because caring for them at home costs the state far less than a nursing home does.
From first call to first paycheck
- 2 minutes
Check eligibility
Five questions tell you which South Carolina program fits, and roughly what it pays.
- usually weeks
Medicaid + care assessment
South Carolina confirms your relative qualifies and how much help they need. The hours in that assessment become your paid hours.
- after approval
Enrol and hire
Your relative enrols, then names you as their caregiver. Background check, paperwork, done.
- every pay period
Get paid
You log the hours you already work and are paid for them, like any job.
How to start in South Carolina: Contact the regional Community Long Term Care (CLTC) office or Healthy Connections at 888-549-0820 and file the Application for Nursing Home, Residential or In-Home Care; MCC families request self-direction through their Waiver Nurse Case Manager.
South Carolina pay questions, answered honestly
How much do family caregivers get paid in South Carolina?
South Carolina does not publish a single rate. Pay is set from your relative's assessed needs and the program's budget. Anyone quoting you one flat South Carolina number is guessing — we get you the real one before you enroll.
What decides my exact hourly rate?
Three things: how much help your relative is assessed as needing, which South Carolina program they are on, and who administers the payroll. self-directed with a required financial management services agency handling payroll/taxes (FMS vendor name not confirmed)
How many hours a week can I be paid for?
Hours come from the care assessment, not from how many you actually work. That is the single biggest thing families get wrong — an honest assessment is worth more than any negotiation later. We help you prepare for it.
Is family caregiver pay taxable?
Usually yes — it is normally treated as wages, with taxes withheld. One exception is worth asking about: the IRS difficulty-of-care rule can make some payments tax-free when the caregiver lives with the person receiving care.
Can I be paid to care for my spouse in South Carolina?
limited — spouses cannot provide companion care but may provide attendant care services; legal guardians excluded There is a full page on this: see spousal caregiver pay in South Carolina.
Can a parent be paid for caring for their own child in South Carolina?
yes for minors via the separate MCC Waiver — parents/relatives/guardians paid hourly for children's attendant care (ages 1-21, max 40 hrs/wk per caregiver, from 7/1/2025); Community Choices itself serves adults 18+
Is there a waitlist in South Carolina?
not an entitlement — limited slots (~25,401/yr) and a waitlist forms when full
How do I apply in South Carolina?
Contact the regional Community Long Term Care (CLTC) office or Healthy Connections at 888-549-0820 and file the Application for Nursing Home, Residential or In-Home Care; MCC families request self-direction through their Waiver Nurse Case Manager.
Married and caring for your husband or wife? Read the spouse rules for South Carolina →
Sources: medicaidplanningassistance.org · scdhhs.gov · scdhhs.gov · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rates change — always confirm with the program.
Where most South Carolina caregivers are
Counties with the most residents aged 65 and older. The rules are the same everywhere in South Carolina — pick yours for the local picture.
Find out in 2 minutes
Answer 5 easy questions. See your programs and pay before you share any contact info.