A significant shift in state welfare is on the way in the United States, with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments set to be phased out in several states.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the program was implemented so that households could receive an additional 95 dollars or more per month in addition to their regular SNAP payment. This additional COVID-19-related benefit is set to expire in February for residents of 32 different US states.
February will be the last month states can provide additional food benefits to SNAP recipients. Many states have already stopped making emergency payments, but some will continue for the remainder of the month. These include states with high levels of poverty and hunger, such as Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana.
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Extra benefits are available in 17 states.
The extra benefit has already ended in 17 states, as America considers the pandemic’s effects on families to have subsided. Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming are among the 17 states.
According to the USDA, SNAP benefits will return to normal levels in February for those in South Carolina, which is ending emergency allotments in January 2023.
With the rising cost of living in America, many fear that eliminating the additional SNAP benefit will only cause struggling families to require a different type of welfare intervention to put food on the table.
How does SNAP function?
SNAP calculates benefit amounts based on household size and monthly net income of less than 30%. The percentage is determined by how much the government expects benefit recipients to spend of their net income on food.
Any family with no net income will be eligible for the full SNAP benefit. Be on the lookout to learn more about extra SNAP benefits.
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