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Buncombe County officials warn government shutdown will cut food benefits, strain county finances
Summary
Health and Human Services staff told the board that federal shutdown-related pauses in SNAP benefits could remove about $7 million in monthly purchasing power from local households and cost the county roughly $838,000 in weekly federal reimbursements, prompting contingency planning with nonprofits and internal redeployment plans.
Buncombe County Health and Human Services officials told the board Friday that the federal government shutdown is already disrupting benefit flows and could sharply reduce grocery purchasing power in the county if it continues into November.
Why it matters: County directors outlined concrete local impacts — including that SNAP benefits may not be loaded for November and that WIC is funded through Nov. 15 — and described contingency planning with community partners and internal staff redeployment to protect service continuity.
David (director of Health and Human Services) told the board county staff are monitoring sparse and intermittent federal guidance and are building contingency plans. He said WIC benefits are funded through Nov. 15 at current spend rates, but “come November 1, there would be no new benefits loaded onto people’s EBT cards for supplemental nutrition assistance program”…
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