FNS Awards $673,775 to the NC Department of Health and Human Services to Enhance Efficiency and Access in SNAP

Atlanta, GA, Sept. 29, 2023 — The Southeast Regional Office of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) awarded the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) $673,775 to enhance efficiency and access in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP. The Process and Technology Improvement Grant, or PTIG, supports efforts by NC DHHS to improve the experience of SNAP participants by enabling grantees to use technology to streamline operations and provide better customer service.

“FNS is thrilled that North Carolina will have additional resources to improve SNAP participants experiences through technology,” said Southeast Regional Administrator Willie C. Taylor, USDA Food and Nutrition Service. “The PTIG Award is a result of exploring new ideas and listening to feedback to design experiences that meet North Carolinians’ customer needs.”

The PTIGs demonstrate the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to championing fairness and equity in USDA’s service to program participants. Additionally, the grants build on FNS’s commitment to modernizing programs, reducing administrative burdens, and piloting new online tools and technologies that can provide a simple, seamless and secure customer experience.

Previous grantees have used PTIG funding to make SNAP improvements such as making mobile applications easier to use, implementing live call centers, and creating automated text messaging notifications to remind households of key actions required to maintain benefits. Once awarded, grantees have three years to spend the funds and complete their projects.

“This PTIG grant comes at a pivotal time for North Carolina’s FNS program,” said Deputy Secretary for Opportunity and Well-Being Susan Osborne, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. “As the state continues to see increased SNAP enrollment, this grant will allow our county offices to manage the mounting workflow as we continue to provide crucial food benefits to people in North Carolina.”

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will use the funding to develop Remote Identity Proofing (RIDP) for North Carolina’s online client portal, which will improve access to optional online SNAP services for clients by removing the need to go into offices to verify identity for an account – this project will enhance customer service.

The multi-year grants support efforts by state agencies and their community-based and faith-based partners to develop and implement projects that use technology to improve the quality and efficiency of SNAP application and eligibility determination systems. For more information visit Process and Technology Improvement Grants Program.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service works to end hunger and improve food and nutrition security through a suite of more than 16 nutrition assistance programs, such as the school breakfast and lunch programs, WIC and SNAP. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans over the course of a year, promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. FNS’s report, “Leveraging the White House Conference to Promote and Elevate Nutrition Security: The Role of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service,” highlights ways the agency will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy, released in conjunction with the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022. To learn more about FNS, visit www.fns.usda.gov and follow @USDANutrition.

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