PITT COUNTY, N.C. – Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) program COVID-19 emergency allotments will end for North Carolina beneficiaries on Wednesday, March 1, 2023. As a result of a federal change, FNS benefits will return to pre-pandemic amounts.
FNS emergency allotments are benefits temporarily increased due to financial hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards received an increase in monthly benefits to meet individual and family emergency needs throughout the pandemic. North Carolina families enrolled in the FNS program have received a minimum of an additional $95 per month since March 2020.
Families receiving emergency allotments since March 2020 will see the average FNS benefit per person per day decrease from $8.12 to $5.45. Families enrolled in FNS will continue to receive regular monthly benefits based on household or individual eligibility, household size, income and other federal requirements.
An average of 900,000 N.C. individuals and families received emergency allotments since March 2020. During this time, residents across N.C. were provided access to healthy meals with local economies receiving approximately $150 million federal dollars per month.
Pitt County Department of Social Services will continue to connect individuals and families to food insecurity resources through programs like NCCARE360 and the NC Medicaid Healthy Opportunities Pilot.
“FNS recipients can view their monthly benefit amounts at www.ebtedge.com. Pitt County residents can apply for FNS benefits through ePass online at https://epass.nc.gov/ or by filling out a paper application,” says Sharon Rochelle, Director, Pitt County Social Services.
Those in need of additional food assistance can learn more about available resources at www.ncdhhs.gov/foodresources or https://www.pittcountync.gov/460/Food-Nutrition-Services.
FAQs can be found online at https://www.ncdhhs.gov/media/18781/download?attachment