FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Cumberland County Department of Social Services (DSS) has been selected by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) as one of eight counties to participate in a statewide initiative aimed at strengthening program accuracy and continuing to reduce payment errors within the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) program.
The initiative comes as NCDHHS works collaboratively with county Departments of Social Services across North Carolina to reduce the state’s federal Payment Error Rate (PER) to below 6 % in Federal Fiscal Year 2026 and help ensure the long-term viability of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which serves approximately 1.4 million North Carolinians each year.
Cumberland County was selected in part because of its large caseload and its significant role in statewide program administration, but also because of the county’s demonstrated success in reducing errors and strengthening operational performance. In federal FY25, Cumberland County reduced its Payment Error Rate to 2.5 percent, well below 6%, which means we are below the threshold for the federal penalty legislated by House Resolution 1- “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
“As you know, NCDHHS is working with county DSS offices to drive down the state’s payment error rate to below 6% in federal FY26 to ensure the future viability of the SNAP program that serves 1.4 million North Carolinians each year,” said Michael Leighs, Deputy Secretary for Opportunity and Well-Being at NCDHHS. “Because counties with large caseloads, like Cumberland, have a larger impact on the state’s overall PER, it is essential that we work together to solve this problem. I want to recognize the work your team did to drive down your PER in FFY25 to 2.5% and our commitment to support you in maintaining that low PER.”
To further support counties in identifying and implementing best practices, NCDHHS has contracted with Human Services Group (HSG) to provide operational and process support to selected counties and the state. According to NCDHHS, the work is intended to build upon the strong continuous quality improvement efforts already underway within counties and provide further support for existing county initiatives.
Cumberland County DSS Director Brenda Reid Jackson, emphasized that the partnership reflects confidence in the work already being done locally and provides an opportunity to further strengthen services for Cumberland County residents.
“This initiative recognizes the tremendous work our Economic Services team has already accomplished in improving accuracy and accountability. However, due to the high workloads, this has not been achieved without staff having to work overtime with compensatory leave off and not pay,” Director Jackson said. “We are proud of the progress we have made and look forward to partnering with NCDHHS and HSG to continue to sustain our performance while helping identify business practices, needs and resources that can support counties across North Carolina.”
At the Social Services Institute workshop held in Hickory on Aug. 6, 2026, Jackson and four other county DSS leaders served on a panel on the SNAP Payment Error Rate. The panel shared an overview of the discovery, design, and implementation process from the eight counties.
The engagement of HSG is expected to continue through December 2026 and will focus on practical, data-informed enhancements that support program integrity, operational consistency, and high-quality customer service for residents receiving Food and Nutrition Services benefits.
For more information about Cumberland County DSS, visit cumberlandcountync.gov/social-services or call 910-323-1540.