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County warns 57,000 residents could see SNAP/WIC impacts if federal shutdown continues
Summary
Forsyth County officials reported Oct. 23 that a federal funding lapse could disrupt SNAP and WIC operations; the county outlined the scale (about 57,000 people on SNAP and more than 10,000 on WIC locally), staff levels dedicated to those programs, and contingency actions with local partners.
Denise Price, Forsyth County deputy county manager, told the Board of Commissioners on Oct. 23 that county staff are preparing for possible local impacts from a federal government funding lapse that could reduce or delay benefits from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs including SNAP and WIC.
Price said SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) serves roughly 57,000 individuals in Forsyth County, “valued at $10,300,000 each month.” She said SNAP issuance is distributed across the month based on the last digit of a recipient’s Social Security number and that USDA had instructed states to hold November issuance files while contingency options are evaluated. That action delays loading benefits on electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards and, Price said, could mean the county will not see the full effect of any disruption until December because some households receive benefits earlier in the month.
Price and staff described staffing and scale: the county has 72 positions dedicated to SNAP administration and another 39 employees who support the program (some of whom serve multiple programs). For WIC, Price said Forsyth County serves more than 10,000 participants locally and that FY 2025 WIC redemptions totaled just under $9 million. She said North Carolina’s WIC program had funding to operate minimally through October, but state agencies had warned that funds for November might not be available and that the state would provide at least a three‑day notice if services needed to be curtailed.
Local preparations and partner actions
- Second Harvest and other food banks have increased purchases and inventory and are coordinating with nearly 500 partner agencies; United Way’s 211 has added staffing capacity to handle potential call volume increases.
- County pharmacy and public‑health partners are coordinating to ensure access to specialty formulas and other WIC‑eligible items if federal funds are delayed.
- County staff said they are meeting weekly with nutrition and food assistance partners and have posted a county webpage with updates and local resources.
Why it matters: SNAP and WIC are major income‑support programs for food security. Price warned that smaller food banks are likely to be the first local partners to feel strain but praised collaboration among nonprofits to shift resources where needed. She also said the situation was evolving and that staff would brief commissioners as new information arrives.
Questions from commissioners focused on distribution timing, overlaps between program recipients, and the county’s operational exposure. Krista (public‑health staff) confirmed SNAP issuance dates are scheduled on odd dates between the 3rd and the 21st and are allocated by the last digit of recipients’ Social Security numbers; Krista said the distribution is fairly even across dates. Price said some individuals receive both SNAP and WIC and that staff are trying to cross‑enroll eligible residents.
Ending: County officials said they have begun internal staff briefings for potentially affected employees (about 100 staff could be impacted if federal funding ends) and will continue coordinating with state agencies and nonprofit partners as more guidance from USDA and state authorities becomes available.
