Some 35 states across the U.S. will continue to disburse an additional $95 in SNAP benefits after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) declared that the extended Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as the food stamp program, will continue for another 90 days.
The extended program was supposed to expire in September 2021 but the USDA has been renewing the arrangement several times since then. The latest extension was based on the fact that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also extended the Public Health Service Act, putting the country in a state of public health emergency until July 15, 2022.
Per the USDA, these are the 35 states with extended SNAP benefits as of May 2022: Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The District of Columbia, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands are also adopting the extension.
The allotted extended SNAP benefits will also depend on the size of a family but the minimum financial aid is $95. The program, however, will scale back once the Biden administration will declare that the U.S. is no longer in a public health emergency.
Some States Phasing Out the Extended SNAP Benefits
Despite the USDA's announcement, however, some states have resorted SNAP benefits back to their regular, pre-pandemic arrangement. According to PBS.Org, Nebraska did away with the additional $95 benefit after four months to encourage residents to learn to get their lives back to normal amid the pandemic.
After Nebraska, nearly two dozen states, which are mostly dominated by Republicans, have also given up on the extended SNAP benefits to encourage their constituents to find work and help businesses get back on their feet instead of relying on more dole-outs. Some of these states include Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Tennessee.
Mom Tara Kramer spoke with PBS.Org and said that losing the extra $95 she got from her SNAP benefits as a result of the cancellation in Iowa sank her in despair. She said that the additional money allowed her to buy healthier food to help with her genetic disorder.
Without the extended SNAP benefit, Kramer's regular expected money from the program is about $121 a month per household member. Even if she wants to earn more, her health condition has made her unable to get out of the apartment without any struggles.
Mom Annie Ballan said that she used to get almost $500 from the extended SNAP payments. When Nebraska scaled back, her family had to make do with just $41 per household member.
How to Get SNAP Benefits
Individuals looking to receive SNAP benefits have to apply to the program in their state agency. Every state has its own process, as well as a different name for the SNAP program. However, it is generally applicable only to those whose gross income is below the federal poverty line. Those who plan on getting into the program can look up the requirements and qualifications per state via Benefits.Gov.
In 2021, the USDA increased the maximum allotment for regular SNAP Benefits to about $835 for a family of four. States like Alaska and Hawaii, however, have higher allotments depending on their rural conditions.
At least one in eight Americans rely on SNAP benefits to purchase their grocery needs. Some states also have restaurants that accommodate the beneficiaries while other states allow the use of SNAP benefits to pay for tools and equipment that they may need for cooking and preparing food.
