After Hurricane Florence: Help for Buying Food for EBT Card Holders

If you already receive help buying food through Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), you may be able to receive extra money on your Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card after Hurricane Florence if you live in one of the 28 counties declared a federal disaster after the storm.

Counties with automatic benefits

If you are in the FNS program in one of the 20 counties below, 60 percent of your September benefit will automatically be put on your card.

  • Bladen
  • Brunswick
  • Carteret
  • Columbus
  • Craven
  • Duplin
  • Harnett
  • Hoke
  • Hyde
  • Jones
  • Lee
  • Moore
  • New Hanover
  • Onslow
  • Pamlico
  • Pender
  • Richmond
  • Robeson
  • Sampson
  • Scotland
     

In addition, many households in these counties will also automatically receive an extra amount on their EBT card if they currently receive less than the maximum amount for their household size. If a person in these counties suffered a food loss greater than 60 percent of their September benefit, they may go to their county Department of Social Services (DSS) office and see if they are eligible for a larger replacement amount.

Counties requiring a replacement affidavit

If someone in the FNS program lives in one of the eight counties below and they had food loss, they have until Oct. 15, 2018, to request a replacement for a portion of their September benefits.

  • Beaufort
  • Cumberland
  • Greene
  • Johnson
  • Lenoir
  • Pitt
  • Wayne
  • Wilson

In addition, many households currently receive less than the maximum amount of help for their household size. In these counties, such households can also see if they are eligible for an extra amount to help purchase food this month by going to their county DSS office.

To do this, they must fill out a replacement affidavit attesting that they suffered a food loss due to Hurricane Florence and visit their county DSS office to speak with a worker there. Hours of operation for each county vary.

The affidavit is also available at county DSS offices. People are encouraged to print and complete the form and take it to their county DSS office.

Questions

Call the North Carolina EBT Call Center at 1-888-622-7328.