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3 <br /> J <br /> o"NGE COUNTY <br /> DEPARTMENT OF <br /> SOCIAL SERVICES <br /> 113 Mayo Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278 1 919.245.2800 <br /> detailed,but this means that people who apply or are recertified beginning in October 2025 (or earlier depending on start <br /> date)will exhaust their three months of benefits as soon as January 1 and states will, at that time,begin cutting people off <br /> FNS who cannot document that they qualify for an exemption or are meeting the 20-hours per-week work requirement. <br /> Who is Impacted? <br /> The work requirements changes will impact FNS recipients who were previously exempt based on one or more qualifying <br /> factors.The law expands the existing work requirements to include: <br /> • Older adults aged 55 through 64; and <br /> • Parents/caretakers with children aged 14 and older; and <br /> • Veterans; and <br /> • People experiencing homelessness; and <br /> • Young people who recently aged out of foster care. <br /> Unless they can document 20 hours per week of work or participation in a narrow set of work activities or prove they <br /> qualify for an exemption,these individuals now can only receive FNS for three months in a three-year period. If these <br /> adults are cut off,benefits will be reduced significantly for their remaining household members, including children in <br /> school. <br /> When will these changes take effect? <br /> These changes were signed into law on July 4, 2025, and must take effect soon. On Friday, September 19th, 2025,North <br /> Carolina counties received guidance from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services stating that <br /> counties should"continue using current procedures and await further instruction from DHHS." <br /> States have 120 days from the date a law is signed before they are held accountable for program changes. This hold- <br /> harmless period for quality control(QC)purposes will expire on November 1,2025.We currently expect the State to have <br /> the new rules in place by mid-October or earlier. <br /> Once the policy changes are rolled out in North Carolina, staff will have to evaluate new applications and recertifications <br /> based on the policy changes. For the below examples, assume the policy changes are effective October 15th,2025. <br /> Example 1: <br /> Carl is a 55-year-old man who is currently not working. He applies for FNS benefits on October 16th,2025.He will be <br /> informed at application that he is subject to work requirement rules and will need to show that he is working in a paid or <br /> unpaid job, seeking employment, or participating in a training or jobs program for 20 hours per week to continue <br /> Orange County Government I www.orangecountync.gov 1 919.732.8181 <br />