SNAP Updates

4/17/23 Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) Program Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) is a temporary program that gives food assistance benefits to eligible families during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The benefits are given on an EBT card, which works like a debit card. You can use it to buy food at stores that accept EBT cards. Current Benefits: 2022-23 School Year Eligible students attending school in person: $8.18 for each day of school missed because of COVID-19. (Some days are not counted; see details.) Eligible young children: The statewide benefit amount may be different each month. If you’re unsure about your child’s eligibility, take our eligibility quiz. Benefits will end May 11, 2023. This is when the COVID-19 public health emergency ends and P-EBT benefits will end for the school year. Upcoming Benefits: Summer 2023 A one-time Summer P-EBT benefit payment will be made to qualified students. Find out if your child qualifies. After this summer, the P-EBT program will end permanently. What To Do Now The following are things you can do today to get ready for P-EBT: Find out if you are eligible for P-EBT. If you aren’t, apply for FNS (food stamps) or apply for free or reduced-price meals at your child’s school before May 1. The deadline for becoming eligible for P-EBT is May 31, and these applications can take at least a month to process. If your student misses school because of COVID-19, make sure the school marks their attendance as a COVID-19 absence (attendance codes 1D or 1R). This includes if they’re sick with COVID-19, need to quarantine, or temporarily attend virtual school while enrolled in a regular school. Remember: These are NOT the only eligibility criteria for P-EBT. For more details, use our eligibility quiz or visit our FAQs. 1/19/23 COVID-19 Changes for Food and Nutrition Services Extra Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) Benefits for COVID-19 to end in March 2023 Families enrolled in Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) have gotten extra benefits each month since March 2020 or after due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. February 2023 is the last month you will get these extra benefits, called “emergency allotments” or “maximum supplements.” This is due to a federal change that will end emergency allotments for all states as of March 2023. For more information, please visit: https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/information/human-services/changes-food-and-nutrition-services 10/19/22 SNAP Scam Alerts: EBT Card Skimming and Phishing Scams   “While card skimming and phishing scams can impact anyone who uses a credit, debit or EBT card, they may hit SNAP households—who rely on their monthly benefits to buy food for themselves and their families—the hardest. What these thieves are doing is deplorable, and FNS will not tolerate it in our programs. We are working with our state and federal partners to protect your SNAP benefits.” —Cindy Long, Administrator of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service SNAP EBT Card Skimming Scam Alert USDA recently received several reports of SNAP fraud in which thieves use “card skimming” to steal SNAP benefits. Thieves place a device on a retailer’s card-swiping machine to copy EBT card information. Card skimming can happen to anyone that uses a credit, debit or EBT card, including SNAP participants. USDA encourages SNAP participants to take actions that may help prevent card skimming. For example:  Keep your PIN secret. Do not share your PIN with anyone outside your household. Cover the keypad when you enter your PIN on a machine. Check your EBT account regularly for unauthorized charges. If you notice any, change your PIN immediately to stop the thief from making any new purchases. Check card reading machines to make sure there’s nothing suspicious overlayed or attached to the card swiper or keypad. The overlays can be difficult to detect but are often bigger than the original machine and may hide parts of the machine. If you believe you are the victim of card skimming and SNAP benefits were stolen from your EBT card, contact your local SNAP office. SNAP Phishing Scam Alert USDA is aware of several reports of criminals using phony text messages to obtain EBT card numbers and PINs and steal SNAP benefits. These are known as phishing scams and are a type of fraud. Do not provide your EBT card number or PIN by phone or text. If you think you are the victim of a phishing scam, please contact your local SNAP office.   06/23/2022 North Carolina to Help 975,000 Kids Access Food During Summer 2022 Eligible North Carolina children will receive additional benefits over the summer to ensure they have access to nutritious food. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recently received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to continue the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer food assistance program through Summer 2022. The extension of Summer P-EBT will provide approximately $303 million in food assistance benefits to approximately 975,000 North Carolina children. “For some kids, summer vacation means wondering where their next meal will come from,” said NCDHHS Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “Children need healthy food to grow and learn, and we will continue to do everything we can to support this effort as part of the NCDHHS priority to improve child and family well-being. “Students who received free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program in May 2022 are among the groups eligible for the P-EBT program. “Summer P-EBT benefits and the National School Lunch Program  are such important ways we can continue our mission of supporting the growth and development of North Carolina’s students,” said Catherine Truitt, N.C. Superintendent of Public Instruction. “We know that improving student performance and outcomes requires mobilization of student support services, and I’m thrilled that we are able to continue providing this assistance to children and their families.” Families can access important P-EBT information and updates on the P-EBT website. Details on the benefit issuance schedule will be posted on the website and shared via social media, and the one-time benefit amounts will be added to the website once they are finalized by the USDA. The eligibility and benefit amounts for Summer P-EBT for students and for young children differ. Students who received free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program in May 2022 are automatically eligible for Summer P-EBT and will be issued a one-time payment in late July or early August. For families who receive Food and Nutrition Services benefits, these student benefits will be added to their existing FNS EBT card.  If a student received P-EBT benefits during the 2021-2022 school year, the benefits will be added to their existing P-EBT card. If the student did not receive P-EBT this school year, a new card will be mailed. To access Summer P-EBT benefits, a student who is not already approved for free or reduced-price meals needs to apply by Aug. 31, 2022. If approved for free or reduced-price meals, the student will be automatically eligible for Summer P-EBT. To apply, contact your student’s school or school district. Many have online applications.  Young children under age 6 receiving FNS benefits and Child Care P-EBT benefits for the 2021-2022 school year are automatically eligible for Summer P-EBT and will be issued a one-time payment in late July or early August. Young children’s benefits will be added to their household’s FNS EBT card. To access Summer P-EBT benefits, families with children who were 5 years old or younger at the start of the 2021-2022 school year (Sept. 1, 2021) can submit an FNS application by Aug. 15, 2022. If approved for FNS, these children will also become eligible for Summer P-EBT and will receive those benefits in September or October. For more information on P-EBT, visit www.ncdhhs.gov/PEBT.  North Carolinians interested in applying for FNS benefits may apply online here  or through your local county department of social services. P-EBT is a federally funded, temporary food assistance program that helps families during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Summer P-EBT is an extension of school year 2021-22 benefits. P-EBT is administered by the NC Department of Health and Human Services in partnership with the NC Department of Public Instruction. For more information, please visit: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases/2022/06/23/north-carolina-help-975000-kids-access-food-during-summer-2022 02/18/2021: NCDHHS to Continue to Provide Extra Help Buying Food for Approximately 860,000 Children Through P-EBT Feb 17, 2021 The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services in partnership with NC Department of Public Instruction today announced it will begin issuing additional benefits on Feb. 19, 2021 through the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program. These benefits will be received over several days starting Friday for those who already have an EBT card for Food and Nutrition Services or P-EBT benefits.   The P-EBT program helps families purchase food for children whose access to free and reduced-price meals at school has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program provides a benefit on an EBT card that can be used to buy food at authorized food and grocery retailers, including most major grocery stores. “Having enough healthy food every day is an essential part of children’s health and well-being,” said NCDHHS Deputy Secretary for Human Services Tara Myers. “The P-EBT program provides families essential help buying groceries for children who would normally have access to free and reduced lunch at school.” Families do not need to apply for P-EBT. Eligibility criteria are based on requirements from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A school-aged child is eligible if their school participates in the National School Lunch Program and the student is eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals during the 2020-21 school year. Also, the student’s school must have been closed or has been operating with reduced attendance for at least five consecutive days during the 2020-2021 school year as a result of COVID-19. The student must also be learning in a fully remote (all virtual) and or in a hybrid (combination of virtual and in-person) learning mode during the month. An eligible student can receive one of two distinct benefit amounts depending on if they are identified as being in a remote learning mode or a hybrid learning mode.   P-EBT benefits received in February 2021 will be for the months of August to December 2020 for those students who are eligible. Those who do not have a P-EBT card and are eligible during these months should anticipate receiving their cards in February or March. The total amount of P-EBT benefits put on a card will not be received at one time; benefits will be spread out over several days to avoid overwhelming those stores that accept EBT. P-EBT benefits will be issued retroactively in a monthly issuance starting in March as long as the child remains eligible. Eligible families already receiving FNS benefits can expect to receive the P-EBT benefit on their existing EBT card. Families who already have a P-EBT card from last school year and are eligible under the new criteria can expect to receive the benefit on their original P-EBT card. Eligible families who do not have an FNS or P-EBT card will be mailed a card. If someone has lost or destroyed their original P-EBT card, they can order a new card at www.ebtedge.com, on the EBT Edge mobile app or by contacting the North Carolina EBT Call Center at 1-866-719-0141. P-EBT benefits are entirely federally funded. More information about the P-EBT program can be found at www.ncdhhs.gov/PEBT. For the latest information on COVID-19, visit nc.gov/covid19.   Individuals with questions about applying for free or reduced-price meals should contact their children’s school for more information.   For more information please visit: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases/ncdhhs-continue-provide-extra-help-buying-food-approximately-860000-children 01/06/2021: Food and Nutrition Services Recipients to Receive Temporary 15% Increase in Benefits Today (Jan 5, 2021), the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced that Food and Nutrition Services recipients will see a temporary increase in the amount of benefits they receive. This increase is part of the federal Emergency Coronavirus Relief Act of 2020. “We know that COVID has created additional hardships and increased food insecurity for children and families,” said David Locklear, Deputy Director for Economic and Family Services. “We want to do everything possible to support North Carolinians who need help buying food, and increasing benefits for hundreds of thousands of families will be instrumental in meeting that need.” The maximum benefit amount for households receiving FNS will increase by 15% until June 30, 2021. This increase will end on June 30, 2021, when benefit amounts will return to their current levels.  Recipients can find out the amount of their benefits by using one of the methods below. 1. Visit www.ebtedge.com. Click on “More Information” under “EBT Cardholder.” You will be prompted to login and/or register your account. 2. Download the ebtEDGE mobile app. The app is available as a free download on the Apple Store and Google Play. 3. Call 1-888-622-7328 on the day you normally receive benefits. Food and Nutrition Services is a food assistance program that provides help buying food for low-income families. Benefits are issued via Electronic Benefit Transfer cards (EBT cards). For more information about FNS, visit https://www.ncdhhs.gov/assistance/low-income-services/food-nutrition-services-food-stamps. People can apply for FNS in English or Spanish online with ePASS, by filling out a paper application and mailing it to or dropping it off at their county Department of Social Services office or applying in person at their county DSS office. For more information visit: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases/food-and-nutrition-services-recipients-receive-temporary-15-increase-benefits 10/09/2020: Free Meals for Kids Extended through June 30, 2021 U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending flexibilities to allow free meals to continue to be available to all children throughout the entire 2020-2021 school year. This unprecedented move is part of USDA’s unwavering commitment to ensuring all children across America have access to nutritious food as the nation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. “As our nation recovers and reopens, we want to ensure that children continue to receive the nutritious breakfasts and lunches they count on during the school year wherever they are and however they are learning,” said Secretary Perdue. “We are grateful for the heroic efforts by our school food service professionals who are consistently serving healthy meals to kids during these trying times, and we know they need maximum flexibility right now. I appreciate President Trump for his unwavering commitment to ensuring kids receive the food they need during this pandemic and for supporting USDA  in continuing to provide these unprecedented flexibilities.” “Northeastern School District has implemented the USDA waiver to offer all students free meals utilizing the SSO program. We have been able to offer free meals to all students in-person (Brick & Mortar) and through Curbside pick-up for virtual students. I am extremely proud of my staff and their flexibility to do their best to keep school meals as normal as possible during a pandemic. The Child Nutrition Staff have wanted to continue hot meals for students and wanted to offer their favorite meal choices,” said Kimberly Alessandroni, Director of Child Nutrition Services, Northeastern School District. “These waiver extensions are great news for America’s students and the school nutrition professionals working so hard to support them throughout this pandemic,” said School Nutrition Association President Reggie Ross, SNS. “Families struggling to make ends meet can be assured that their students will have access to healthy school meals, whether they are learning at home or in school. School meal programs can remain focused on safely meeting nutritional needs of children in their communities without having to worry about burdensome regulations. The School Nutrition Association appreciates USDA’s ongoing efforts to address the many challenges our members have faced while working on the frontlines to feed hungry children.” Background: USDA previously extended child nutrition waivers through December 2020 based upon available funding at the time. The flexibilities extended today will allow schools and other local program operators to continue to leverage the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) to provide no cost meals to all children, available at over 90,000 sites across the country, through June 30, 2021. USDA understands a one-size-fits-all approach is not an effective way to feed children, particularly during the current challenges facing our country. USDA can extend these waivers due to language in the continuing resolution signed into law by President Trump last week.   USDA is extending waivers through June 30, 2021, that: Allow SFSP and SSO meals to be served in all areas and at no cost; Permit meals to be served outside of the typically required group settings and meal times; Waive meal pattern requirements, as necessary; and Allow parents and guardians to pick-up meals for their children. These program flexibilities allow schools and local program operators to operate a meal service model that best meets their community’s unique needs, while keeping kids and staff safe. Additional flexibilities are being granted on a state-by-state basis, as required by law, to facilitate a wide range of meal service options and accommodate other operational needs. Early in the pandemic, USDA adapted its summer feeding site finder to ensure parents and children would be able to easily locate sites that were providing meal service. With this new announcement, the Meals for Kids interactive site finder will continue to collect data, voluntarily provided by USDA’s state agency partners, about operating sites including location, meal service times, and additional information. For more information visit: https://www.fns.usda.gov/news-item/usda-040120 09/25/2020: Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) Fall 2020 Update P-EBT benefits have been issued to qualifying children. Eligible students must have attended five (5) consecutive days of virtual learning from August 17th-September 30th and normally be on free or reduced lunch. For additional requirements, please visit the links below. NC Pandemic Electronic Benefits (P-EBT) Information for Fall 2020 Pandemic EBT FAQ’s School District Eligibility 09/10/2020: FRAUD ALERT: USDA Warns of Text Message Scam Targeting SNAP Recipients WASHINGTON, September 10, 2020 – USDA issued the following notice today to protect SNAP participants, after receiving reports of several possible SNAP Fraud attempts: Be aware of a scam using texting to obtain your personal information.  The text might say you were chosen to receive food stamps or SNAP.  If you do not know if a request for information about SNAP is real or not, contact your local SNAP office.  Never share personal information with individuals or organizations that you do not know.  Personal information includes your social security number, bank information, or SNAP electronic benefits transfer card or PIN number. If you think the text is a scam, do not reply at all.  Just delete.  If SNAP participants are unsure if a request for information is legitimate, USDA advises they contact their local SNAP office.  If they do not know their local SNAP office, participants should contact their state agency. State contact information is available at https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/state-directory. To stay on top of potential scams, please visit USDA’s SNAP scam alert webpage at https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/scam-alerts. If you believe you are the victim of identity theft, contact your local police department regarding procedures for filing a report.  You may also file a consumer complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://www.ftc.gov.  FTC is the federal agency responsible for protecting consumers from identity theft scams. USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers 15 nutrition assistance programs that leverage American’s agricultural abundance to ensure children and low-income individuals and families have nutritious food to eat. FNS also co-develops the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which provide science-based nutrition recommendations and serve as the cornerstone of federal nutrition policy. For more information, please see the link below: https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/scam-alerts 8/31/2020: USDA Extends Free Meals for Kids Through December 31, 2020   Summer meal programs can continue operating as funding allows   (Washington, DC, August 31, 2020) – Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will extend several flexibilities through as late as December 31, 2020. The flexibilities allow summer meal program operators to continue serving free meals to all children into the fall months. This unprecedented move will help ensure – no matter what the situation is on-the-ground – children have access to nutritious food as the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. USDA has been and continues to be committed to using the Congressionally appropriated funding that has been made available. “As our nation reopens and people return to work, it remains critical our children continue to receive safe, healthy, and nutritious food. During the COVID-19 pandemic, USDA has provided an unprecedented amount of flexibilities to help schools feed kids through the school meal programs, and today, we are also extending summer meal program flexibilities for as long as we can, legally and financially,” said Secretary Perdue. “We appreciate the incredible efforts by our school foodservice professionals year in and year out, but this year we have an unprecedented situation. This extension of summer program authority will employ summer program sponsors to ensure meals are reaching all children – whether they are learning in the classroom or virtually – so they are fed and ready to learn, even in new and ever-changing learning environments.” “School Nutrition Association greatly appreciates USDA addressing the critical challenges shared by our members serving students on the frontlines these first weeks of school. These waivers will allow school nutrition professionals to focus on nourishing hungry children for success, rather than scrambling to process paperwork and verify eligibility in the midst of a pandemic.” said School Nutrition Association (SNA) President Reggie Ross, SNS. “We look forward to continuing our dialogue with USDA to ensure school meal programs are equipped to meet the future needs of America’s students.”     “Today’s announcement brings a huge relief to our school meal program and the community we serve,” said Lindsay Aguilar, RD, SNS, Director of Food Services for Tucson Unified School District, AZ. “Many of our families who might not qualify for free meals are still going through a tough time and are worried about how to keep food on the table. Now their children will have one less thing to worry about as they adjust to evolving in-school and remote learning scenarios. These waivers also eliminate a massive administrative burden for our school nutrition staff, allowing them to focus on feeding children.”     “These waivers will ensure every hungry child in the city of Cleveland has access to healthy school meals, while eliminating the burdensome, time consuming process of verifying and documenting enrollment,” said Chris Burkhardt, SNS, Executive Director of School Nutrition for Cleveland Metropolitan School District, OH. “Our school nutrition team had to develop and implement a bar code verification system this fall that has greatly complicated and slowed service. With these waivers, we’ll be able to speed up meal distribution for the safety of staff and families and ensure no student is denied access to healthy meals.”   Background: USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is extending a suite of nationwide waivers for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) through the end of 2020, or until available funding runs out. This includes:  Allowing SFSP and SSO meals to be served in all areas and at no cost; Permitting meals to be served outside of the typically-required group settings and meal times; Waiving meal pattern requirements as necessary; and allowing parents and guardians to pick-up meals for their children. Collectively, these flexibilities ensure meal options for children continue to be available so children can access meals under all circumstances. USDA is taking this unprecedented action to respond to the needs of its stakeholders, who have shared concerns about continuing to reach those in need without enlisting the help of traditional summer sites located throughout communities across the US. While there have been some well-meaning people asking USDA to fund this through the entire 2020-2021 school year, we are obligated to not spend more than is appropriated by Congress. Importantly, the summer meal program waiver extensions announced today are based on current data estimations. Over the past six months, partners across the country have stood up nearly 80,000 sites, handing out meals at a higher reimbursement rate than the traditional school year program. USDA has continuously recalculated remaining appropriated funds to determine how far we may be able to provide waivers into the future, as Congress did not authorize enough funding for the entire 2020-2021 school year. Reporting activities are delayed due to States responding to the pandemic; however based upon the April data we currently have available, FNS projects that it could offer this extension, contingent on funding, for the remaining months of 2020. USDA will continue to actively monitor this rapidly evolving situation and continue to keep Congress informed of our current abilities and limitations. Since the start of the public health emergency, FNS has been maximizing existing program services and flexibilities to ensure those in need have access to food through our 15 federal nutrition assistance programs. To date, USDA has provided more than 3,000 flexibilities across these programs. USDA has also leveraged new and innovative approaches to feeding kids, including a public-private partnership that provided nearly 40 million meals directly to the doorsteps of low-income rural children. For more information on FNS’ response to COVID-19, visit fns.usda.gov/coronavirus. 6/23/2020: NCDHHS E-pass Update Please see this update from NC DHHS Human Services.  This week, NCDHHS is launching an improved, mobile-friendly online application for Medicaid and Food and Nutrition Services that will help support social distancing and beneficiary applications from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. North Carolina’s online application portal, ePASS, has been improved with new and updated features that will provide an easier user experience with specific enhancements to be more mobile-friendly.   Updated features include: •    Improved look and feel making navigation easier on mobile devices •    Fewer questions and enabling applicants to only answer questions applicable to them •    Personalized dashboards with important account information and notifications •    Guidance placed throughout the site based on frequently asked questions •    Ability to attach documents easily •    Links to relevant program information •    Links to paper applications and voter registration   The new initiative provides an experience that is streamlined, mobile-friendly and easier for the user. These changes do not impact any previously submitted application. Any questions about existing applications will still be directed to the County DSS offices. 5/18/2020: NCDHHS Updates   1. One-time benefit of $265 for each eligible child in an active Work First Cash Assistance (TANF) household will be issued via EBT card on May 22 and via direct deposit on May 25. 2. One-time supplement to help any approved Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) household pay their heating bills. Payments must be processed before May 29. These supplements will be used as a benefit and credit to individual family’s energy accounts. 3. Will P-EBT disbursements show in NC FAST? P-EBT disbursements for both Non-FNS and FNS recipients will only show in EBT edge. The P-EBT benefits are not typical FNS payments and will not be recorded in NC FAST. Visit the NCDHHS website for more information and to view the full document. 5/6/2020: June FNS Certifications extended The Department plans to extend the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) certification periods for all FNS cases that have certification periods ending June 30, 2020, with the exception of Simplified Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) cases on May 16, 2020.                 6-month certification cases:                     Recertification cases with certification periods ending June 30, 2020 will be extended – July 2020 to December 2020. 12-month certification cases:                    Recertification cases with certification periods ending June 30, 2020 will be extended – July 2020 to June 2021.   SNAP Online: NC has been approved to purchase eligible food items online using SNAP benefits and maintain self-quarantine and engage in social distancing. Currently, the only retailers approved by USDA to allow online purchasing are Amazon and Walmart in conjunction NC vendor FIS. Eligible Purchases: The same guidelines will apply to online purchases as in-store purchases. Online Purchase Effective Date.This will be effective May 7, 2020 for all current FNS households. Note: Acceptance of online EBT purchases will not be limited to the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue after the pandemic has ended for those retailers that have been approved. 5/6/2020: North Carolina Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer Program UPDATE   The information below was updated as of 5/1.   What if the family has more questions or needs additional resource information? North Carolinians can call 2-1-1 or 888-892-1162, 24 hours a day to speak to an NC 211 call specialist. NC 211 has up-to-date resources and information to help people through these difficult times. NC 211 will link callers to resources such as food pantries and distributions, state government resources, mental health and healthcare assistance, general information on COVID 19, and current information on closures and government notices. Calls to 211 are free and confidential and the service is available in most languages. The NC 211 resource database can also be searched on-line at www.nc211.org.   Visit the NCDHHS website for more information and to view the full document. 4/29/2020: North Carolina Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer Program UPDATE As previously reported, North Carolina has been approved for the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program. This program intends to provide extra help buying groceries for the families whose children normally receive free and reduced lunch at school. The P-EBT supplement will be deposited in two installments and similar to typical SNAP benefits, unused benefits will roll over from month to month for up to one year (365 days). Please see the list of Frequently Asked Questions from NCDHHS for more information. 4/21/2020: North Carolina Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer Program [Mandy Cohen, DHHS Secretary] Cohen also announced the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program, known as P-EBT, a federal program that will give North Carolina families who receive free or reduced lunch at school an additional $250 per child applied to EBT cards. This will give those families a way to feed children who normally eat breakfast and/or lunch at school, Cohen said in a press conference. Cohen said that families do not need to apply for the program, and those eligible will begin receiving it in the coming weeks. It will be paid in two installments, and possibly an additional benefit if statewide schools are closed beyond May 15. The benefit can be used to buy food at most major grocery stores that already accept EBT. There are more than 800,000 children in North Carolina who normally receive free and reduced lunch at school. 4/17/2020: DC and North Carolina Added to Innovative SNAP Online Pilot Program   USDA is expanding access to innovative online food purchase program   (Washington, D.C., April 17, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced approval of the District of Columbia (DC) and North Carolina’s requests to provide online purchasing of food to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Households. This approval will allow the State and Federal District to expedite the implementation of online purchasing with currently authorized SNAP online retailers with a target start date to be announced at a later time. DC’s SNAP participation is over 100,000 individuals, more than 66,000 households, and totals nearly $200 million annually in federal funding. North Carolina’s SNAP participation is over 1.2 million individuals, almost 600,000 households, and totals nearly $1.7 billion annually in federal funding. This announcement further demonstrates President Trump’s whole of America approach to fighting the coronavirus pandemic by ensuring those affected are fed.  Background: The SNAP online pilot is currently operational in Alabama, Iowa, Nebraska, New York, Oregon, and Washington State. Nebraska joined the pilot on April 1, 2020. The authorized retailers working with all pilot states are Amazon and Walmart, while Wrights Market and ShopRite are working with Alabama and New York respectively. On April 8, it was announced that Arizona and California would be joining, and on April 11 announced Florida and Idaho.  Though the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is receiving interest to expand the SNAP online pilot program, the responsibility is on state agencies, their third-party processor, and any retailers who wish to participate. To ease the process, FNS put together a simplified template for states who wish to enter the online pilot which is provided as an attachment to this letter. USDA continues to provide significant technical assistance to interested states to ensure that plans are thorough and appropriate preliminary testing is conducted. If not done properly and judiciously, there is a risk to the State’s entire benefit system. Each State, its EBT processor and retailers present their own mix of challenges so FNS is providing customer service based on each of their specific needs. FNS will continue to work with interested states in advancing their participation in this pilot. Until States are prepared to operate the pilot, USDA recommends States utilize other options that retailers may already provide, such as Pay at Pick-up (also known as “Click and Collect”), where SNAP cardholders can shop online and then pay for their purchase using their EBT card at pick-up. Grocery pickup is already an option that these retailers offer beyond SNAP so they are already thinking through how they can provide a safe environment to do so with the growing concerns around social distancing. During these challenging times, FNS is working hand-in-hand with state program leadership, to provide support and guidance to adapt to the challenges of this public health emergency. USDA intends to use available program flexibilities and contingencies to continue to serve our program participants. For up to date information and to learn more about flexibilities being used in FNS nutrition programs, please visit the FNS website.  4/16/2020: Wake County COVID-19 Resources Click here for resources in Wake County. These resources continue to change daily. Check back for more updates. 4/13/2020: Find Emergency Meals for Kids and Teens

USDA Food and Nutrition Service has begun granting waivers that allow states approved for non-congregate feeding, greater flexibilities which allow parents and/or guardians to pick up meals for their children, without the student needing to be present. This waiver is effective immediately, and remains in effect through June 30, 2020, or until expiration of the federally declared public health emergency, whichever is earlier.  Online Mapping Tool to Find Feeding Sites: Parents with kids and teens 18 years old and under can use our Meals 4 Kids mapping tool to find sites near them where they can pick up free nutritious meals and snacks. To maintain social distancing, kids and teens may take their meal home to eat.  Simply type in your address and find results. *As of April 10, 2020, the map contains information on around 27,000 feeding sites from 30 states including: AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, FL, GA, HI, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA and WI. www.fns.usda.gov/meals4kids During this national emergency, many schools have unexpectedly closed due to health concerns related to COVID-19.  Usually, the rules require that children gather and eat their meals on site. However, due to the exceptional circumstances of this public health emergency and the need for social distancing, USDA established a nationwide waiver to remove the requirement that children eat at the sites in a group setting. Text ‘Food’ to 877-877 to Find Feeding Sites for Kids and TeensIn addition to USDA’s Meal For Kids online mapping tool, No Kid Hungry offers a national texting service that allows parents or students to find feeding sites near them by text.    How it works: Text ‘FOOD’ to 877-877 or ‘COMIDA’ to 877-877 for information in Spanish. User receives text back prompting them to enter a street address, city and state and/or zip code for their desired location. While the service is able to return results for inputs that include only city and state and/or zip code, including a full street address will return results that are more accurate. The service then texts back information about nearby meal sites, or information about how to access other food resources if no sites are operating in the vicinity. Call National Hunger Hotline Call the USDA National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-348-6479, Monday-Friday, 7:00 am – 10:00 pm EST for help locating local feeding sites, food banks, or food pantries.  FoodFinder AppFind emergency food locations by using the FoodFinder online tool or mobile app: https://foodfinder.us/about-us Find Updates On USDA’s FNS Response to COVID-19. USDA intends to use all available program flexibilities and contingencies to serve our program participants across our 15 nutrition programs. We have already begun to issue waivers to ease program operations and protect the health of participants.  For all the latest information on our programs during this national emergency visit: www.fns.usda.gov/disaster/pandemic/covid-19

!!NCDHHS has announced the following!!:

4/3/2020: USDA Announces Online Tool to Help Families Find Meals for Kids During COVID-19 Emergency 

4/1/2020: NC has been granted a waiver to issue supplemental benefits. 

Effective April 1, 2020 automated supplements will be issued for March 2020 and April 2020 to all active FNS recipients in North Carolina up to the maximum allotment for their household size using the following guidelines:

1. The supplement is the difference between the household’s actual March 2020 and April 2020 benefits and the maximum allotment for their household size.
2. Households that have already received the maximum allotment for their household size will not receive a supplement.
3. The household size will not include ineligible and disqualified members.
4. Households that were ineligible in either March 2020 or April 2020 will not receive a supplement for the month(s) they were ineligible.
5. Households that were eligible for an allotment but either month prorated to $0 will receive a supplement for the prorated month.
6. Recoupments withheld for March 2020 will be restored to the FNS unit when the supplement is processed. This processed will be completed on April 18, 2020. Recoupments for the month of April 2020 will be suppressed and will not be subtracted from the household’s regular allotment.

3/31/2020: While More In My Basket focuses on food security and assisting likely-eligible people to access SNAP benefits, we realize that being food secure is related to housing status and having utilities to prepare food.  As a result, we are pleased to share Governor Roy Cooper’s Executive Order #124:

3/31/2020: NC Restaurants Feeding Kids Initiative Announcement: Are you a restaurant, catering company or foodservice operation interested in helping feed kids in need during COVID-19 school closures? Nearly 900,000 children in North Carolina rely on receiving breakfast, lunch and snacks from school five days a week. During this emergency closure, approved schools and community partners are serving needy kids and teens across the state and receiving reimbursement through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Some schools and community partners operating through SFSP may experience difficulties with food supply and meal transportation. This is where you can step in! SFSP operators are allowed to contract with restaurants, caterers and foodservice operations to supply food for the kids in their community. The NC Department of Public Instruction is leading the NC Restaurants Feeding Kids Initiative to connect restaurants and foodservice operations with schools and community organizations to ensure no child goes hungry while school is out of session. Join a Zoom call on Friday, April 3 at 10:30 am to find out how you can help. 

3/26/2020: COVID-19 orders and resources. Check to see your local DSS hours of operations. Please call prior to going as this information continues to change.

3/18/2020: “The Department plans to extend the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) certification periods for all FNS cases that have certification periods ending March 31 or April 30, 2020, with the exception of Simplified Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) cases. Automatic extension will alleviate the need for FNS households to leave their homes to mail or deliver their recertification forms or to retrieve required verifications, reducing potential exposure to the COVID-19.”

For more information, please refer to the North Carolina Department of Social Services.