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RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — The Trump administration announced it will provide partial payments for SNAP recipients following two court rulings last week that found plans to stop funding the program unlawful.

In a statement, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson wrote:

“The Agriculture Department has told the court it will use its entire emergency fund over the next month to make 50 percent payments to every SNAP recipient. That will zero out the emergency fund. My office is still reviewing the order to see what else we can do to help, but until this shutdown ends, we all need to provide extra support to our local food pantries.”

Last week, Jackson announced he was part of a lawsuit filed against the US Department of Agriculture over plans to freeze funding.

Typically, funds are added onto EBT cards at the beginning of the month. While recipients are able to use remaining SNAP benefits from prior months, there have been no additional funds added on at this point.

“I have to stretch everything,” said Caridad Diaz, a Durham mother who relies on SNAP and Social Security.

Diaz lives with her adult son, who has autism and requires around-the-clock care.

“It’s half a piece of chicken for him (and) a little piece of chicken for me. If it’s not enough, it’s all for him,” said Diaz, who has already started altering her spending habits.

Still, she expressed concerns for others who are in an even more dire situation.

“I want them to have food because it’s very important. My heart goes for them. And even If I don’t have any, which I would like to have help, I want to make sure that they do have assistance. Because I know how it is to go it sleep on an empty stomach,” said Diaz.

Inside her Durham home, Christmas decorations are already up, but Diaz acknowledged this season could look different.

“My son is telling me that the holidays are approaching and asking what are we going to do, Mommy? What are we going to do for Christmas? What am I going to tell my son? What am I going to tell him? I’m sorry, honey. I don’t think I will provide you for Thanksgiving because I don’t have it. It’s hard for me,” Diaz said.

A two-time cancer survivor, Diaz is also awaiting results of a PET scan, only adding anxiety during a stressful time.

“I want to be here for him, and I’m asking dear God for help,” Diaz said.

The government shutdown is now approaching five weeks, as Democrats want Medicaid cuts and extensions to health care tax credits included as part of any continuing resolution negotiations, while Republicans believe they should be addressed separately.

“I don’t understand much about it. But I do understand what is right and what is wrong, and right now what is happening in this moment is wrong. What they’re doing is wrong,” said Diaz.

In an email to ABC 11, a spokesperson for NCDHHS wrote:

NCDHHS is currently awaiting guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and assessing the time needed to update our systems to load partial SNAP benefits onto existing SNAP beneficiaries’ EBT cards. We are working as quickly as possible to ensure North Carolinians have timely access to these essential food benefits. At this time, we anticipate that partial November SNAP benefits will begin being added to existing SNAP beneficiaries’ EBT cards by early next week.

NCDHHS will provide updates as soon as they are available at www.ncdhhs.gov/shutdown as well as directly to beneficiaries.

NCDHHS is providing the following guidance for people who depend on food and nutrition benefits:

Continue to Apply and Renew: All residents should continue to apply for SNAP benefits and submit renewal paperwork on time. County DSS offices remain open and are processing all applications to prevent a backlog when full funding is restored.

Check Your Balance: Any benefits on your EBT card are available to use. Check your balance on the ebtEDGE app, at ebtEDGE.com, or by calling the number on the back of your card (1-888-622-7328).

If you or your family is in immediate need for food resources, please call 2-1-1 to be connected with local resources. You can also visit the NCDHHS website dedicated to food access to find a food pantry closest to you

SEE ALSO | Where to find food help, get a hot meal or donate to pantry or food bank in central NC

In North Carolina, there are 1.4 million SNAP recipients, including 580,000 children. Food insecurity is also felt on college campuses, with rising requests for need seen at both UNC and NC State.

“We’re actually way above our typical numbers this semester. We’ve had over 600 individual visits this semester, and we still have about a month left of school, and we are anticipating some increases with those numbers. In the past, we’ve seen right around 500 visits each semester,” said Meghan Conroy, a senior at UNC who serves as President of Carolina Cupboard.

“Last year we had our biggest year ever, 17,333 visits. It was a 41% increase from the year before. We are open to anyone in the NC State community, so that includes students, faculty and staff. We see about seven to nine percent of faculty and staff usage. That’s a little higher this year,” added Stevie Kimmet, Program Director of Pack Essentials at NC State.

Monday was the official launch of Pantry Bowl, an annual fundraising competition between the two universities.

“We have UNC studies that report around campus about 30% of our students are experiencing food insecurity at one time or another when they’re on our campus. It is much higher than a lot of people realize,” said Conroy.

“We project to spend about $135,000 on food. We are spending $30-40,000 more every year following the COVID-19 pandemic. And our program is largely funded through donations. So we can’t sustain the level of usage and the increase in usage that we’re seeing without something like the Pantry Bowl,” Kimmet explained.

For NC State, a donor has pledged an additional $5,000 gift this year if there are more than 1,521 donations made, which represents last year’s total. At UNC, an anonymous donor pledged $25,000 once the school reaches 800 unique donors.

“We are hearing, especially as the shutdown continues to go on, people are having to come in because their families are unable to send them money for groceries or they were relying on SNAP,” Conroy shared.

Even after the shutdown ends, Kimmet says the need will persist.

“SNAP, as a program, has lost hundreds of millions of dollars of funding, and there will be increased work requirements and other restrictions that are imposed. And we do think that’s going to hit students hard,” said Kimmet.

Monday night, the US Secretary of Agriculture posted on her X account that the President is doing everything he can to help our most vulnerable mothers and babies. She goes on to say that as of Monday, full November WIC benefits will be disbursed to States. See the full tweet here.

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