Millions of Americans could see their monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits (SNAP) cut by an average of $100. In total, 37 states as well as Washington D.C., Guam, and the Virgin Islands would be affected.
When the COVID pandemic began in 2020, the USDA allowed states to issue emergency SNAP benefits to offset the loss of income that many people were dealing with. However, the increased payments were conditional. And to get them, states had to issue emergency declarations, which most did, The Sun reports.
The assistance went up for review at the beginning of this year. And on January 16th, the government decided to extend it until April 15, 2022.
As of today, Iowa is the only state that has publically decided to end its emergency declaration. And officials have declared March as the transition month. So people will start receiving their normal SNAP benefits on April 1st.
SNAP benefits are based on household size, total income, and qualifying deductions. However, people’s financial situations have likely changed over the past two years. So the new calculations will be much different than their pre-COVID benefits.
Iowa residents should be on the lookout for a letter that describes how much they will receive from now on.
So far, no other states or territories have said if they are leaning towards transitioning away from the emergency benefits or not. And that may be a good sign for families struggling to make ends meet amid rising inflation.
New York Will Send Around 155,000 Families Extra Food Stamp Benefits in April
While most states are considering cutting food stamp benefits, New York will be sending $155,000 families an extra $870. However, the extra money will only be a one-time payout.
Earlier this month, Governor Kathy Hochul announced plans to allocate an extra $64 million in funding for New York residents. But because so many residents are struggling to make ends meet, she decided to provide extra money to help.
The program named the Temporary Disability Assistance (OTDA) will help children, struggling households, multi-generational households, and survivors of domestic abuse already enrolled in SNAP who meet certain standards.
For example, parents can get an extra $140 for each child who needs diapers as long as they’re 3-years-old or younger. And victims of abuse can get assistance with relocation costs.
The money will help an estimated 150k children living in 128K homes across the state as well as thousands of senior citizens. People should expect to see the extra benefits in April.
