by Mary Clark

Created on: January 22, 2009   Last Updated: July 08, 2010

North Carolina offers a Food and Nutrition Program (FNS) for low-income families who need financial assistance in order to provide adequate and nutritional meals for their families. The program is eligibility based, meaning that not everyone who applies will receive benefits. In reviewing an application, the program will look at several areas to ascertain if you meet the eligibility requirements for the program. Areas of interest and eligibility include Income, Household Composition, Citizenship, or Immigration status, Work Requirements and Family Resources.

Interested applicants may download the application form online in PDF format. Once completed, you will need to deliver the application to your local Department of Social Services (DSS) office where the evaluation process will begin. If you are not sure where your local office is, the State website has an office locator feature to assist you.

Income:

Each application for the North Carolina Food Stamp Program reviews the monthly gross income for the family requesting services. In order to be entitled to benefits, the family's gross income, not to be mistaken with the net income, must fall below the standard guidelines for the size of the family. For example, a family of four (4) must earn a gross income which is less than $2,297 a month if they are to receive assistance. Likewise, each income category has a maximum amount of monthly assistance that a family may receive. Using the same example, a family of four with earnings of less than $2,297 would be eligible to receive up to $588 a month. However, do not expect to receive that amount each month if your earnings are close to the income cut off.

Household:

In consideration of your application, the DSS office will look at the make-up of your household. They will determine the answers to a series of questions including, are you living on your own or with others? Do you share the cost of preparing meals with someone else or are you solely responsible for the costs of feeding your family? DSS will consider other areas when reviewing an application for assistance however; those areas point towards a more complex family structure and for the purposes of this article, are better left excluded.

Citizenship or Immigration Status:

Applicants requesting Food Stamp assistance from the state of North Carolina must be a United States citizen or a qualifying immigrant possessing specific immigration status. The Department of Social Services will review birth certificates,

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>