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NCDHHS »   Divisions »   Child and Family Well-Being »   Food and Nutrition Services (Food Stamps)

Food and Nutrition Services (Food Stamps)

Food and Nutrition Services is a federal food assistance program that provides low-income families the food they need for a nutritionally adequate diet. Benefits are issued via Electronic Benefit Transfer cards (EBT cards). There are three ways to apply for Food and Nutrition Services (Food Stamps):

  1. Apply online with ePASS.
  2. Apply in person at your county Department of Social Services (DSS) office. It helps to fill out as much of the application as possible ahead of time.
  3. Fill out a paper application Open PDF and mail to or drop it off at your county DSS office.

The NC FAST ePASS website now includes a Spanish translation option, as well as the ability to complete the full application process in Spanish online, previously only possible using a paper form. These improvements will remain in place beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and do not impact previously submitted applications.

  • ePass Flyer in English
  • ePass Flyer in Spanish

Watch this video to learn about ePass in Spanish. 

Call your county DSS office if one of these methods will not work for you. Watch the video below to learn about applying online through ePass.

Apply for Food and Nutrition Services (Food Stamps) in NC
Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT)
Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed)
Food and Nutrition Services Employment and Training Program (FNS E&T)
Simplified Nutritional Assistance Program SNAP
North Carolina State Nutrition Action Coalition
Food and Nutrition Services Brochure - English
Food and Nutrition Services Brochure - Spanish

 

Eligibility

Income: You may be eligible for Food and Nutrition Services if your total income falls below the appropriate gross income limits for your household size. Eligibility workers determine which income limit applies to your household.

The maximum benefit amount for households receiving Food and Nutrition Services increased by 25% for the period of October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022. 

HOUSEHOLD SIZE 130% MAXIMUM GROSS INCOME LIMIT 200% MAXIMUM GROSS INCOME LIMIT MAXIMUM BENEFIT ALLOTMENT
1 $1,396 $2,148 $250
2 $1,888 $2,904 $459
3 $2,379 $3,660 $658
4 $2,871 $4,418 $835
5 $3,363 $5,174 $992
6 $3,855 $5,930 $1,190
7 $4,347 $6,688 $1,316
8 $4,839 $7,444 $1,504
Each Additional Member (+492) (+758) (+188)

Household Composition: Some individuals must participate in Food and Nutrition Services as one household even though they purchase and prepare their meals separately.
Individuals who must participate as one household include:

  • Individuals living together who purchase/prepare their food together
  • Spouses living together or individuals representing themselves as a married couple
  • Individuals under the age of 22 living with a parent
  • Individuals under 18 under the parental control of an adult living in the home
  • Two unmarried adults living in the same home who are parents of a mutual child

Citizenship/Immigration Status: All individuals receiving Food and Nutrition benefits must be US citizens or immigrants admitted to the United States under a specific immigration status.

Public charge rules that relate to determinations about certain legal resident statuses changed in March 2021. Immigrants should know that they and their families can access many public benefits without concern, if they are eligible, and are encouraged to get information about public charge rules in English and Spanish on the NC Justice Center website. 

Resources: Some households may be subject to a resource test.

  • Households may have $2,500 in countable resources.
  • Households may have $3,750 if at least one person is age 60 or older or disabled.
  • Certain resources are not counted, such as homes, buildings and land.

Contact

NC EBT Call Center: 1-866-719-0141. Contact the Division of Social Services.

Complaints

You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form to:
Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20250-9410
Fax: (202) 690-7442 or Email: program.intake@usda.gov.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Nondiscrimination statements

የማዳላት ተግባርን ላለመፈጸም የወጣ መግለጫ - Amharic

تصريح عدم التمييز - Arabic

非歧视声明 - Chinese Simplified

非歧視聲明 - Chinese Traditional

Deklarasyon Kont Diskriminasyon - Creole

Izjava o nediskriminaciji - Croatian

English

میثاق (بیانیه) عدم تبعیض - Farsi

Déclaration de non-discrimination de l’USDA - French

Antidiskriminierungserklärung des US-Landwirtschaftsministeriums USDA - German

भेदभाव मुक्‍त संबंधी वक्‍तव्‍य - Hindi

Nqe Lus Teev Kev Tsis Kheev Ntxub Ntxaug - Hmong

សេចក្តីថ្លែងការណ៍ស្តីពីការមិនរើសអើង - Khmer

ຖະແຫຼງການບໍ່ເລືອກປະຕິບັດ - Laotian

Oświadczenie odnośnie niedyskryminacji - Polish

Declaração de não-discriminação - Portuguese

Заявление o недискриминации - Russian

Warbixinta Takoor La’aanta - Somali

Usted no sera discriminado - Spanish

ประกาศเก่ ียวกับการไม ่กีดกันเลือกปฏิบัต - Thai

غیر امتیازی سلوک کے بارے میں بیان - Urdu

Tuyên Văn Không Kỳ Thị - Vietnamese

 

Child and Family Well-Being

  • Community Nutrition Services
  • Early Intervention
  • Food and Nutrition Services (Food Stamps)
    • Electronic Benefit Transfer
    • Food and Nutrition Services Employment and Training Program (FNS E&T)
    • FNS (Food Stamps) Replacement/Supplement Request Form
    • North Carolina State Nutrition Action Coalition
    • North Carolina Nutrition Education Partners
    • Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program Education
    • Apply for Food and Nutrition Services (Food Stamps) in NC
    • Changes for Food and Nutrition Services
    • Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) Program
  • Learn More about DCFW
  • Transforming Child Welfare and Family Well-Being Together: A Coordinated Action Plan
  • Whole Child Health

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Contact Information

NC Department of Health and Human Services
2001 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-2000
Customer Service Center: 1-800-662-7030
For COVID-19 questions call 1-888-675-4567
Visit RelayNC for information about TTY services.

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https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/child-and-family-well-being/food-and-nutrition-services-food-stamps