An audit by the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor has found tens of millions of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit payments were delivered late to some in North Carolina.
The audit shows about $83 million in benefits, which are federally funded and overseen by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, were delayed from 2021 to 2024.
Auditors identified the seven counties with the worst performance in meeting federal timeliness standards, including Pitt County.
The report also found that DHHS leadership made the decision not to enforce corrective actions to county offices that failed to meet federal timeliness requirements. State Auditor Dave Boliek said it is troubling that DHHS leadership doesn’t believe tracking untimely benefit amounts would improve efficiency.
Recommendations include consistent monitoring of the timeliness of county SNAP benefit payments, enforcing corrective actions, and ensuring access to the necessary data to administer and monitor SNAP benefit payments.
