If you are a citizen of North Carolina and wish to apply for North Carolina Food Stamps, here is basic information you need to know and the eligibility requirement for applying for food stamps in North Carolina. It’s the North Carolina Division of Social Services that handles the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in North Carolina.
Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) is a federal food assistance program that helps low-income families. Families and individuals that are affected by Hurricane Florence can apply for Food stamp benefits to help them buy the food they need for a nutritionally adequate diet.
Every month in North Carolina, Snap benefits are issued to beneficiaries via Electronic Benefit Transfer cards (EBT cards). You can read our previous post on how to check your food stamp balance in North Carolina.
North Carolina Food Stamp Eligibility Requirements
- Household Composition
Individuals must participate in FNS as one household even though they purchase and prepare their meals separately. Individuals who must participate in FNS as one household are:
- For individuals living together who purchase/prepare their food together or will do so upon receipt of food assistance
- Spouses living together or individuals representing themselves as husband and wife to the community
- Individuals under 22 living with a parent
- Individuals under 18 under the parental control of an adult living in the home or
- Two unmarried adults living in the same home who are parents of a mutual child.
READ ALSO: North Carolina Food Stamps Phone Number
- Citizenship/Immigration Status
Each member of the household must be a US Citizen or an immigrant admitted to the United States under a specific immigration status. Providing an SSN is required by the Food and Nutrition Act for applicants seeking benefits.
Household members seeking benefits must provide their financial information, as it is required to determine eligibility for individuals who are applying. Eligible household members who apply will be able to get benefits even though some people in the household are not applying for benefits. The amount of benefits will depend on the number of people requesting benefits.
- Income Eligibility
All households must meet an income test to receive benefits. Income limits vary by household size. You may be eligible for Food and Nutrition Services if your total income falls below the appropriate gross income limits for your household size.
| FNSU Size | 130% Maximum Gross Income Limit | 200% Maximum Gross Income Limit | Maximum Benefit Allotment |
| 1 | $1,307 | $2,010 | $192 |
| 2 | $1,760 | $2,708 | $352 |
| 3 | $2,213 | $3,404 | $504 |
| 4 | $2,665 | $4,100 | $640 |
| 5 | $3,118 | $4,798 | $760 |
| 6 | $3,571 | $5,494 | $913 |
| 7 | $4,024 | $6,190 | $1,009 |
| 8 | $4,477 | $6,888 | $1,153 |
| Each Additional Member | +$453 | +$698 | +$144 |
Household size refers to the number in the household who may be eligible for FNS. Individuals who receive SSI, WFFA or the household contains an aged or disabled individual may have different eligibility requirements. North Carolina residents can apply for Food and Nutrition services online by using an application called epass.
SEE ALSO: North Carolina Food Stamps Office Location
- Resources
Some households may be subject to a resource test. For households subject to the resource test the household may have $2,000 in countable resources, such as bank accounts and money in certain retirement accounts.
Many women and children in FNS households are also eligible for food assistance through the Women, Infant and Children (WIC) program, administered by the NC Division of Public Health. To learn more about Food and Nutrition Services please visit the United States Department of Agriculture’s website.
North Carolina residents can use an online tool epass.nc.gov. called ePASS to screen themselves for potential eligibility for Food and Nutrition Services.
How To Apply For North Carolina Food Stamps Benefits
North Carolina food stamps applications are taken at local county Departments of Social Services in the county in which the household resides. Some counties have Food and Nutrition Services outreach offices as well. Persons who live in households consisting only of SSI (Supplemental Security Income) applicants or recipients may apply for Food and Nutrition Services at the Social Security Administration Office.
To apply for North Carolina food stamps online, visit epass.nc.gov. Or you can download the Food and Nutrition Services application, English version and Spanish version. Once you have filled out the form, visit your local county Department of Social Services to submit it.
If you still have issues or questions about how to apply for North Carolina food stamps benefits, please feel free to use the comment box below.
