The federal government has already ended the extra SNAP benefits assistance to provide families in need through the COVID-19 pandemic at the end of February. Now, state officials claim that several people are still calling in need of more food assistance.
SNAP Benefits Has Ended But Several Americans Call For More Food Assistance! (PHOTO: Forbes)
Calls For More Food Assistance Benefits As It Ended Ended Last February
Department of Children and Family Services Secretary Terri Ricks said that Louisiana’s 211 calls from information line from citizens seeking food aid have tripled since the start of February. In the first week of February, the hotline totaled 211 calls for more SNAP benefits assistance. For the week of March 8, the number reached 608. Moreovre, around 471,000 households in Louisiana receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). That assistance helps feed some 953,000 people, Ricks said.
The Senate Select Committee Meetings
The Senate Select Committee on Women and Children conducted a meeting on Thursday, the DCFS secretary told lawmakers about one SNAP benefits recipient who has seen her monthly benefits drop from $280 to around $20. Ricks said the public is encouraged to call 211 for information about alternative food assistance programs. SNAP benefits recipients should also contact DCFS if they believe they are eligible for more benefits. For instance, a family receiving assistance may have grown during the pandemic, or a recipient may include had a change in household income or employment that suggests they qualify for more food assistance.
More information is available at the department’s SNAP website.
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