Mecklenburg County Prepares for Pause in SNAP Benefits, Works with Community Partners to Offer Food for Residents

As of Saturday, Nov. 1, Mecklenburg County residents who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will likely see those benefits paused during the federal government shutdown. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which provides the funds, has directed the State of North Carolina to suspend the issuance of November 2025 benefits.

View the news release from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

About 138,500 Mecklenburg County residents are served monthly by SNAP benefits, across about 63,000 households. In an update on Oct. 28 to the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, County Manager Mike Bryant reinforced that: 

• SNAP benefits are 100% federally funded.
• North Carolina and its Counties are not permitted to use state or local funds with the expectation of federal reimbursement.
• The benefits issuance totals about $24 million per month, or about $175 per participant per month.

“No county in North Carolina, including Mecklenburg County, has the financial resources to supplement that level of funding,” said Bryant. “However, we are engaging with our many community and food resource partners to mobilize a plan to ensure that Mecklenburg County residents and families will have access to the food they need. Mecklenburg County is making plans to contribute $740,000 through our partners and initiatives to support SNAP recipients, and we will share those details early next week.”

Any benefits currently on participants’ EBT cards are still available for use. Participants can check their EBT balance at ebtEDGE.com or by calling the number on the back of their card: 1-888-622-7328.

Bryant also reported that the suspension of the federal benefits does not affect the ongoing work of Mecklenburg County’s Economic Services Division in determining the eligibility of households and accepting applications. Therefore, residents can continue to submit SNAP applications and renewals with Mecklenburg County.