North Carolina residents still waiting for their January benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program should expect them to arrive in the next two days.

SNAP benefits go out to North Carolina residents on odd days from Jan. 3 to Jan. 21. Food stamps are sent based on the final digit of a recipient’s Social Security number.

In North Carolina, the average benefit payment per household member is $181. Approximately 1.6 million people, roughly 15% of the state’s population, receive assistance paying for food via SNAP.

The maximum annual income permitted to be eligible for food stamps in North Carolina depends on the household’s size. The maximum annual income for a household of one is $29,160, and for a household of five, the maximum annual income is $70,280.

Those with Social Security numbers ending in 1 through 9 should have collected their SNAP benefits by Friday. Recipients with Social Security numbers ending in zero will collect benefits on Sunday.

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A household of one can receive a maximum of $291, a household of five can receive a maximum of $1,155, and a household of eight can receive a maximum of $1,751. A household can receive a maximum of $219 for each additional person after eight. These amounts are based on the recent cost-of-living adjustments for 2023-24.

The monthly payments are loaded onto an electronic benefits transfer card, and recipients can use the card at grocery stores to purchase eligible food products such as fruits, vegetables, bread, meat and poultry, and drinks. SNAP benefits cannot be used to buy products like pet food and alcohol or household items such as paper and soap.