WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Wednesday that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has increased emergency benefits amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The program has increased benefits for households across all 50 states and three territories by 40% to help ensure food security, officials said.
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“These are unprecedented times for American families who are facing joblessness and hunger,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “USDA is providing a 40% increase in SNAP benefits to ensure that low-income individuals have enough food to feed themselves and their families during this national emergency.”
The increase in funding for SNAP will enable eligible households to receive the maximum benefits available through the program. Households that are eligible to receive less than the maximum benefit will now receive an “emergency allotment supplement” to help them reach the maximum, officials said.
For example, a household with two adults, three children and no income can receive a maximum benefit of $768 per month -- while a household with five people receives $528, officials said. The supplemented emergency benefits would then help the family of five to receive the maximum monthly benefit amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
An additional $2 billion will be provided in emergency allotments each month under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, officials said. SNAP currently provides $4.5 billion in benefits each month.
Click here to learn more about SNAP from the USDA.
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