Federal cuts to SNAP would have significant impact to more than 1 million in NC, DHHS says

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) now says federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) cuts will impact more than one million North Carolinians, including one in six children.

Cassie Davidson and her young family receive food assistance through two SNAP programs.

She says the assistance has been very helpful and she's waiting to see how SNAP will be impacted by the federal tax and spending cut bill that Trump signed into law on July 4th.

"It would definitely be a big change for us for sure because I'm a stay-at-home mom right now and we're having our third (child) in September," said Davison. "My husband - he's the only income we have."

The White House says "SNAP was intended to be temporary help for those who encounter tough times" and the change "promotes work, responsibility and restores SNAP to serve the truly needy."

"There is a significant vulnerability here to the food or nutrition assistance program or SNAP," said DHHS Secretary Dr. Dev Sangvai.

The agency says it's still sorting out the full impact of the federal tax and spending cut bill at a time when finances are tight.

"What this resolution does is put more of that administrative burden on the states and the counties, where we're already stretched on dollars," said Sangvai. "This could require North Carolina to find anywhere from $400 to $700 million annually to make up for that gap that the federal government will no longer cover."

SEE ALSO | Quarter of the 1 million Medicaid-insured patients in NC could lose their benefits: DHHS