The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps many low-income Pennsylvanians buy food. The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has recently announced that the supplemental (extra) SNAP benefits that households have been receiving during the pandemic will come to end in February 2023. During the pandemic, everyone on SNAP had been receiving extra benefits which brought their monthly allotment up to the maximum grant for their household size, regardless of their income. The supplemental SNAP payments would be issued later in the month after they would receive their “regular” grant earlier in the month. There were some folks who would normally receive a maximum SNAP grant anyway, and these folks would also receive an extra $95 a month.
Starting in March 2023, clients will only get their "regular" SNAP allotment, which is the amount they've been getting in the beginning of the month. Currently the minimum monthly SNAP grant is $23. Households will no longer get extra SNAP in the second half of the month. Many households will be greatly affected by the loss of the “extra” SNAP benefits. The loss of benefits will increase demand on food banks and other food distribution programs, while impacting the household budgets for millions of low-income individuals and families.
To help households try to deal with the loss of the extra SNAP benefits, households need to make sure the County Assistance Office (CAO) knows the latest about their housing/shelter costs, childcare expenses, and (if an individual is 60 years of age or older and/or getting a disability benefit), that person would qualify for an excess medical expense deduction for any out-of-pocket medical expenses exceeding $35/month. Making sure households are getting the proper income deductions may increase their SNAP benefit. Households always have 90 days to appeal any decision affecting their SNAP benefits and are welcome to apply for our services at NPLS if they have any questions about their SNAP allotment.
Learn More
www.usda.gov/media/blog/2023/02/08/snap-emergency-allotments-are-ending
