Topics Related to Low-Income Services

Press Release — People in 23 Western North Carolina counties impacted by Hurricane Helene who are enrolled in Food and Nutrition Services now have access to replacement benefits on their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. The United States Department of Agriculture approved North Carolina to allow current FNS participants in the 23 counties to receive 70% of their total monthly September benefit back on their EBT card. The benefit replacement is automatic and does not require action from the FNS participant. This impacts more than 200,000 people in North Carolina and more than $24 million in replacement benefits.

PRESS RELEASE — On Sept. 26, 2024, Congress extended the deadline allowing victims of recent Food and Nutrition Service benefits theft to apply for replacement benefits. The deadline for requesting replacement of stolen benefits is now Dec. 20, 2024. The federal provision allowing for replacement of stolen benefits was previously set to expire Sept. 30, 2024.

PRESS RELEASE – This year, North Carolina is celebrating 50 years of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, better known as WIC.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live fireside chat and tele-town hall on Tuesday, May 7, from 6 to 7 p.m., to discuss Medicaid expansion resources, who is newly eligible and how to apply for health coverage.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Aging is partnering with the N.C. area agencies on aging and local service providers to distribute fans to eligible recipients through Operation Fan Heat Relief from May 1–Oct. 31.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Low Income Energy Assistance Program will begin accepting applications from older adults and people with disabilities on Dec. 1, 2023.

PRESS RELEASE - The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has announced those who lost Food and Nutrition Services benefits through card skimming, cloning or other forms of fraud are eligible to have their stolen FNS benefits (formerly known as food stamps) replaced.

PRESS RELEASE - The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has become aware of a potential scam targeting Food and Nutrition Services beneficiaries. Within the last four days, at least 650 Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards have been compromised statewide, and more than 7,000 cards have been identified as potentially compromised.

Access to nutritious food is foundational for overall health and well-being. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services offers several programs to support individuals’ access to healthy food, including Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Changes are coming to these two programs due to the end of the federal public health emergency on May 11, 2023.

A program that helped 1.6 million children get healthy food for the last three years is coming to an end, NCDHHS announced today.