The current federal shutdown has become the longest in U.S. history, critically impacting the nation’s most effective tool for fighting hunger: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). While partial benefits were court ordered for release this month using contingency funds, those reserves will zero-out–jeopardizing food access for 1.4 million North Carolinians until Congress passes a budget.
Partial, and in Some Cases, No SNAP Benefits
According to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, more than half of North Carolina SNAP beneficiaries had $25 or less in their accounts at the start of the month, and more than 30% had less than $1–underscoring how critical these benefits are to daily survival. Following federal court rulings that found the government acted unlawfully in refusing to release emergency SNAP funds, the Trump administration authorized partial payments this month. While states are grappling with the administration’s complex partial funding formula, latest analysis indicates that families will receive even less than expected, with up to 5 million people estimated to receive $0.
What Are NC Lawmakers Prioritizing?
Despite these urgent concerns, the NCGA has yet to pass a state budget or take proactive steps to address the lapse in SNAP benefits. Lawmakers in other states have begun authorizing emergency state funds or creative tax measures to help bridge the gap. The inaction raises questions about what North Carolina’s legislative priorities are, and how aligned they are with the immediate needs of their constituents.
SNAP lifted an average of 238,000 North Carolinians, including 101,000 children, above the poverty line each year between 2015 and 2019. Without intervention, many could fall back into poverty and food insecurity. Further complicating matters, the federal “Big Beautiful Bill” passed earlier this year changed eligibility requirements for SNAP, tightening access and threatening students’ eligibility for free or reduced-price school meals. These are pressing policy issues that state leaders could, and should, address.
Communities Filling the Role of Government
North Carolinians are experiencing a failure of government at both the state and federal levels. In the absence of effective policy solutions, schools, communities, businesses, and philanthropies have stepped up to fill the gap. Initiatives like the NC Community Schools Coalition demonstrate how schools can serve as hubs that connect families to health, nutrition, and social services–reminding us that education policy and family well-being are deeply intertwined. Additionally, Governor Stein recently secured a grant to support state food banks, but as his office noted, “for every one meal a food bank provides to families, SNAP provides nine.” While these emergency measures and community efforts help, they cannot replace sustained federal and state commitments to ensuring food security across North Carolina.
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