Mecklenburg, Stanly counties explain ranking among worst in NC for sending food aid
A new audit cites two Charlotte-area counties for delays in delivering food benefits to some low-income families.
The report, released Wednesday by the North Carolina State Auditor’s Office, said about $83 million in aid from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program was delivered late across the state from 2021 to 2024.
The program, commonly referred to as SNAP or food stamps, provided assistance to about 13% of the state’s population in 2024, the report noted.
Mecklenburg and Stanly counties were specifically mentioned in the audit for being among the counties with the highest rates of “untimely” responses to SNAP applications from 2022 to 2024.
“When payments are delayed, it can have a major effect on the day-to-day lives of North Carolinians,” the audit said.
The report called for the state Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees SNAP in North Carolina, to take a more active role in overseeing county-level performance.
Both Mecklenburg and Stanly counties said they’ve already taken steps to improve service.
State audit cites Mecklenburg, Stanly counties for SNAP delays
The audit attributed the issues in dispersing SNAP benefits to delays in counties processing SNAP applications.
Federal law says all eligible households must receive benefits within 30 days of applying, or seven days if they’re eligible for expedited service. The federal requirements also say at least 95% of applications should be processed within those timeframes.
North Carolina’s timely response rate fell from 98% in 2021 to 91% from 2022 to 2024, according to the audit.
“As a result, approximately $83 million of financial assistance meant to help North Carolinians with limited incomes purchase food (was) not received when needed,” the report said.
Mecklenburg County had the fourth-highest “untimely” rate from 2022 to 2024: 21.2%, or 71,385 untimely applications out of 336,209 total.
Nearby Stanly County posted the seventh-highest rate, 14.2% out of 22,136 total applications.
Other counties specifically cited in the report were:
- Davidson County, with a rate of 24.9%
- Edgecombe County, with a rate of 22.2%
- Wake County, with a rate of 22%
- Pitt County, with a rate of 19.6%
- Cumberland County, with a rate of 14.4%
The audit attributed the delays to three factors: an increase in SNAP applications, “workforce challenges” at the county level and state officials not instituting corrective action plans for counties not meeting federal requirements.
“The State Auditor’s Office is committed to holding government accountable for being efficient. In this case, despite repeatedly seeing there were delays in the distribution of SNAP benefits, DHHS chose not to enforce corrective actions,” State Auditor Dave Boliek said in a statement on the findings. “It is troubling that DHHS leadership doesn’t believe tracking untimely benefit amounts would improve efficiency. Measuring performance provides transparency and results on the spending of taxpayer dollars.”
The report recommends NCDHHS “consistently” and “systematically” monitor county performance, “including the enforcement of corrective actions.” The report also says officials should better track exactly how long delays in processing applications go on.
NCDHHS, counties respond
NCDHHS said SNAP delays are frequently caused by verification requirements and changes in household circumstances. Current NCDHHS systems would allow for monitoring and tracking the degree of untimeliness, the agency said.
Mecklenburg County “faced significant challenges” during the time period evaluated in the audit, a county spokesperson said in a statement. That included the end of public health waivers implemented to expedite case processing during the pandemic, a “sustained, historically high volumes of SNAP applications” and limited staff capacity. The county added jobs beginning in July 2023 and new strategies to improve efficiency, according to the statement.
“We remain committed to effectively delivering this vital resource to the residents of Mecklenburg County,” the statement said.
Stanly County Manager Andy Lucas told the Observer in a statement the county struggled with staff turnover from 2021 to 2024 but has since hired additional staff “to help address the processing timeliness issue.” Response times can also be ffected aby “employers delaying mandatory verifications and delayed responses from landlords or collateral contacts,” he added.
“Stanly County is committed to meeting the federal 95% standard and has taken steps to address the issue,” Lucas said. “These include additional staff as well as a new supervisor over this specific staff unit. Our staff is also engaging in weekly consultation with our state partners for guidance and best practice recommendations.”
