More than 1.4 million North Carolinians are poised to enter November without federal subsidies they rely on for food — and without any assurances that relief is on the way.

Due to the federal government shutdown, which started Oct. 1 after Congress failed to pass a budget, the U.S. Department of Agriculture directed states to delay paying out November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. More than 1.4 million North Carolinians in about 600,000 households receive roughly $230 million to $250 million each month in SNAP benefits, according to the state.

Other WRAL Top Stories

Those benefits were expected to lapse Saturday until a federal judge on Friday ordered the USDA to use emergency funding so that the program doesn’t run out of money. North Carolina is one of 2

See Full Page