Press release from North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services:
Starting today, North Carolina Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) participants will be able to purchase groceries online using their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards at authorized online EBT retailers. North Carolina is the 10th state to implement this flexibility, which will remain permanently in place beyond the COVID-19 emergency.
The new flexibility will allow participants to buy food while also promoting social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and helping families with transportation and mobility barriers.
“People need to feed their families while also practicing social distancing,” said NC Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen, M.D. “This will allow families to order groceries at home and lower their risk of getting sick.”
Currently, Amazon and Walmart are the only authorized retailers approved for online FNS purchases nationally. The U.S. Department of Agriculture must approve other retailers who wish to participate in the FNS online purchasing program. NCDHHS encourages other EBT retailers to pursue USDA approval to become authorized online retailers.
All EBT retailers in North Carolina have received information from USDA about how to become approved for online FNS purchases and other retailers are encouraged to seek approval for online purchasing. More information for retailers is available on the USDA website.
More information about North Carolina Food and Nutrition Services can be found at https://www.ncdhhs.gov/assistance/low-income-services/food-nutrition-services-food-stamps.
North Carolina individuals and families can apply for FNS at https://epass.nc.gov/CitizenPortal/application.do.
Walmart in NC been accepting EBT way before this pandemic what the issue for us in rural area no transportation to get groceries so with that being said there no delivery avail in rural areas Im in Troy NC and the closest WALMART is Biscoe but guess what it does not do grocery pick up nor do is it have delivery so how does the government feel that it makes it easier for people who are at high risk like me to be able to get these services that supposed to be avail. to me and others i have have sat back and watched bigger cities in NC have” ACCESS TO RESOURCES ” While people in rural areas are suffering that are high risk or have no transportation its a sad situation for us here in the rural area i am a mother of 2 with a child who has previously been diagnosed with RSV a While back and on a asthma machine that i half bring out with me who is only 2 and will not even wear a mask on top of that im on oxygen and a chronic asthmatic and im forced to go outside into these places cause i have no other choice Please help me understand what is going on here