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More work, less money. That is the challenge many states and counties say they will soon face administering SNAP, the nation's food assistance program. A year ago this month, Republicans passed President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, which included major funding cuts to SNAP, and in just a few months, those cuts will hit even as new rules add to the workload. Nick de la Canal from member station WFAE takes us to one rural county in North Carolina that is bracing for the changes.
VANESA SANCHEZ: Hello. This is Vanesa. How can I help you?
NICK DE LA CANAL, BYLINE: Inside a small cubicle at the Bladen County Department of Social Services, Vanesa Sanchez balances a phone on her shoulder as her fingers fly across a keyboard. She's got a lot of work today.
SANCHEZ: Working on reviews, calling the clients, making sure we have all the documentation we need.
DE LA CANAL: Sanchez is a caseworker checking SNAP eligibility in this small county of about 30,000 people. Here, nearly a quarter of all residents rely on federal food assistance. At any time, she's managing more than 300 cases.
SANCHEZ: We're just consistently always working on something. We don't actually have, like, any downtime.
DE LA CANAL: But her office expects the workload to grow. That's because President Trump's tax and spending law expanded work requirements for more adults up to age 64 and some previously exempt parents. For Sanchez, it means more paperwork, eligibility checks and time spent explaining the changes.
SANCHEZ: More than likely, I'm going to get more phone calls in regards to that policy.
DE LA CANAL: And starting October 1, the federal government will only contribute 25% of what it costs to run the program. They now pay 50%. For Bladen County, that is likely 400,000 fewer dollars this fiscal year, says county manager Sam Croom. He's trying to figure out how to make up the difference. He doesn't want to cut staff or raise taxes.
SAM CROOM: Because people are struggling with inflation, struggling to keep up with what's going on at the grocery stores.
DE LA CANAL: Instead, Croom plans to cut back on contractors, delay purchases and look for savings elsewhere.
CROOM: We're doing our best to be as frugal with them scarce resources as possible.
DE LA CANAL: Meanwhile, signs of food insecurity are growing.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Who wants to say grace today? Anybody?
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Singing) Oh, we thank you, lord.
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Singing) We thank you, for our food, for our food.
DE LA CANAL: Across the street, about two dozen older adults gather for lunch at the county senior center. The meals are free, and staff say they've noticed more new faces as grocery prices have climbed.
CHARLES PERRY: It guarantees I get at least one meal a day.
DE LA CANAL: Seventy-four-year-old Charles Perry says he comes almost every day. Although he receives SNAP benefits, he struggles to stay fed the whole month.
PERRY: With the price of groceries so high, it takes a lot more of my stamps than it used to.
DE LA CANAL: County staff say it's people like Perry they're most worried about. As a senior, he doesn't have to show work requirements, but if staff get overwhelmed, it could become harder to serve residents like him, says Croom.
CROOM: And if it comes down to simply we do not have the resources or the money to do this, then that's the hard day where you have to tell people no because you simply cannot afford to help them.
DE LA CANAL: He says he wants to serve residents, but at this moment, it's the county government that's in need. For NPR News, I'm Nick de la Canal in Bladen County, North Carolina.
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