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.
“We’ve worked quickly with the federal government to have $24 million in SNAP benefits restored to 200,000 individuals’ EBT cards, in light of the fact that due to power outages and worse, many families have lost their food,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “We will creatively use every tool we have to support folks impacted by Hurricane Helene now and for the long-haul.”
The approval is for FNS recipients in the following counties: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey counties. The replacement benefits were automatically credited to impacted FNS recipients Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards Sunday morning and are available now.
There are three ways to check your FNS balance 24 hours a day, seven days a week:
- Visit www.ebtedge.com. Click on More Information under EBT Cardholder. You will be prompted to login and/or register your account.
- Download the ebtEDGE mobile app. The app is available as a free download on the Apple Store and Google Play.
- Call 1-888-622-7328 and follow the prompts to activate your PIN.
NCDHHS recently received approval for FNS participants to temporarily use their benefits to purchase hot food, including food prepared for immediate consumption, from authorized Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) retailers using their EBT card. FNS participants statewide will be able to purchase hot food through Nov. 3, 2024, and do not have to apply for the benefit.
Additionally, NCDHHS is actively working with USDA to receive federal authority to operate a Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. D-SNAP allows more people impacted by Hurricane Helene to qualify for food assistance benefits who are not already FNS recipients. More information will be communicated once NCDHHS has approval to implement the D-SNAP program.
NCDHHS recommends people using EBT cards check their balances regularly for unauthorized charges and take the following actions to keep their EBT card and account secure:
- You can check your balance and/or replace a lost or stolen EBT card by visiting www.ebtedge.com, using the EBT Edge mobile app or contacting the North Carolina EBT Call Center at 1-888-622-7328.
- Block out-of-state and online purchases using the EBT Edge website or mobile app.
- If you suspect card skimming, freeze your EBT card when not shopping so fraudulent purchases cannot be made using your card.
- Select a “difficult” PIN (i.e., not 1234 or 1111) for the EBT card and change the PIN regularly.
For information about the FNS program, visit www.ncdhhs.gov/fns or visit epass.nc.gov.
For information regarding Hurricane Helene and additional resources and flexibilities in place, please go to www.ncdps.gov/Helene and www.ncdhhs.gov/helene.