Amid the ongoing federal shutdown, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), following USDA guidance, is issuing partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for this month. NCDHHS announced that nearly 1.4 million SNAP recipients in the state can expect the funds to be available on their EBT cards by mid-next week.
The partial SNAP benefits follow a successful lawsuit by North Carolina and 24 other states, which led the USDA to release roughly $4.65 billion in emergency funding. This amount is expected to cover about half of the federal SNAP program’s needs for November. "Families around our state are waiting to see if they’re going to be able to afford groceries," Governor Josh Stein said in a press release. Beneficiaries are encouraged to regularly check their EBT card balances.
SNAP supports over 622,000 households in North Carolina, including working families, children, and elderly residents. Following USDA guidance, NCDHHS is issuing this month's benefits at 50% of the maximum allotments. Updates from NCDHHS show that more than 60% of SNAP accounts had $25 or less at the start of the month.
The reductions differ by household size; for example, a family of four that normally receives a maximum of $994 per month will receive $497 under the adjusted guidelines. "SNAP is more than a benefit – it is a lifeline," said NCDHHS Secretary Dev Sangvai in a press release.
In the meantime, NCDHHS urges residents to continue applying for and renewing SNAP benefits to prevent backlogs when full federal funding resumes. Those in immediate need can access local food assistance through the NCDHHS website or by calling the 2-1-1 hotline. Beneficiaries can check balances and get updates via the ebtEDGE website, the mobile app, or the number on the back of their EBT cards.
