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GREENSBORO, N.C. — Nearly 9,000 food stamp recipients in Guilford County could lose their benefits April 1 unless they can show they’re working, volunteering or attending classes for 20 hours a week.

That mandate, which applies to adults under the age of 50 without dependents, was suspended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2008 when the economy crashed and unemployment rates skyrocketed, increasing the number of people across the country who needed food stamps in order to eat.

The exemption ended Jan. 1 for 23 counties in North Carolina, including Guilford.

People who are affected can receive benefits for 90 days without complying with the mandate, which stretches the deadline to April 1, according to Elizabeth White, division director for economic services at the Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services. After that, recipients who aren’t meeting the 20-hour requirement stand to lose their benefits. Read more: Greensboro News & Record

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