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Food & Nutrition Services
The Food and Nutrition Services Program (once referred to as Food Stamps) helps low-income households with their monthly food expenses. Food Assistance is issued through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT), which means that benefits are deposited monthly into the household's EBT account. Households are issued a card and pay for their groceries at food stores by using the card, which works like a debit card, at the checkout counter. The cost of the purchased groceries is deducted electronically from the EBT account.
There are seven food banks in the state of North Carolina as a food stamp outreach initiative. Pitt County is one of the target counties.
There are seven food banks in the state of North Carolina as a food stamp outreach initiative. Pitt County is one of the target counties.
Eligibility
To receive Food & Nutrition Services Assistance, you must meet certain requirements:
- You must be a U.S. citizen or qualified legal immigrant.
- You must have or apply for a Social Security number.
- You must meet the income and reserve requirements.
Eligibility Requirements
The following chart describes the SNAP and Food and Nutrition Services Eligibility Requirements criteria.
Note: In reference to the "What's Needed" column on the chart, if we are unable to establish eligibility for assistance, additional information may be required.
Eligibility Requirement |
What's Needed |
How Often |
---|---|---|
Address / Living With / Living Arrangement |
Contact with someone knowledgeable of your situation, lease, or rental agreement |
At application, review, change in situation, or if moving |
Age |
Birth certificate / date of birth |
Client's statement acceptable |
Assets / Resources | Ownership and tax records / bank and court documents | At application, review, or change in situation |
Citizenship/ Alien Status | Verification of citizenship / alien status via Immigration and Naturalization Service | At application or whenever appropriate |
Emancipation | Marriage certificate, court records, or Military ID |
As needed |
Gas and Electric Bills | Copy of bills | At application, review, and change in situation |
Health Insurance | Seeing policy or card | As needed |
Identity | Contact with someone knowledgeable of your situation, or ID | At application or if questionable |
Income: Wages / Self-Employment Public Benefits / Private Retirement Benefits / Trust, etc. |
Wage stubs, tax forms contacting employer, documents from provider, or award letter | At application, review, or change in situation |
Kinship | Client statement or contact with someone knowledgeable of your situation | At application, review, or change in situation |
Pregnancy | Statement from doctor | At application or as needed |
Social Security Number | Valid social security card or number | At application or until received |
Student Status | Bank records or student's financial records | At application or as needed |
Work Capacity | Medical statement from doctor | As needed |
Food & Nutrition Services Application
Apply for Food and Nutrition Services at https://epass.nc.gov/CitizenPortal/application.do.
To find out what to bring with you to a Food and Nutrition Services application, please click on the attached link Food and Nutrition Services Interview Information (PDF).
Additional Information
For more information contact your local county Department of Social Services.
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR BENEFITS
While your benefit amounts may be consistent, often times the challenges of life are not. That is why FNS benefits budgeting and management techniques are vital to ensuring you get the most out of your available funds. Below are some valuable resources to help you manage your benefits:
- Eat Right When Money's Tight: SNAP-Ed programs to help people on tight budgets make healthy food choices
- Meal Planning, Shopping, and Budgeting: SNAP-Ed programs developed to teach meal planning skills.
- SNAP-Ed Recipes: Healthy and thrifty recipes they feature a short list of ingredients and are easy to make.
- EBTshopper Recipes: WICShopper’s tips to help you find and purchase your WIC foods, along with 300 simple and delicious ways to prepare them!