The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that aids citizens by providing financial assistance in food to lower payments to the recipients.
The program assists needy families to get access to food by offering them EBT ( Electronic Benefits Transfer) cards by which the needy could avail of grocery items from stores situated anywhere in the nation.
For the previous 2 years, the SNAP beneficiaries had seen 15 percent boosts in their emergency food assistance. The benefits the citizens are still receiving would cease by the end of the next month, February. The government’s mission of introducing a new spending bill would reportedly cost the cuts of the food assistance program.
What Is The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)?
The SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) is the largest nutrition assistance program by the federal government. The SNAP benefits are received by certain individuals and families who come under the category of low income according to the mandatory income requirements by the authorities.
The beneficiaries are issued a Electronic Benefits Transfer cards by which they can avail of purchases from grocery stores around the United States.
The Electronic Benefits Transfer card could be used in a similar way to a debit card and be used to make purchases of food items that are deemed eligible from authorized food stores of retail capacity.
Who Is Eligible For SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)?
In order to be deemed as eligible for SNAP an applicant should meet certain requirements.
Residence Requirements
The applicant must be a resident of any of the states under the US government. The applicant’s bank balance should be restricted to the requirements put forward by the authorities.
An exception would be allowed for a household with one or more senior citizens, above the age of 60, or a household having a disabled person.
The criteria of the requirements are mainly based on the applicant’s gross and net monthly income based on the size of their household.
Gross Income Requirements
For an applicant from a family consisting of four people – should have a gross monthly income of or below 3,007 US Dollars.
Net Income Requirements
The net monthly income should be of or below 2,313 US Dollars.
Net income is calculated by minus of all allowable deductions if any from the gross income of the applicant.
Asset Requirements
The applicant must belong to a household having assets of or below 2,750 US Dollars. Households with a senior citizen over 60 years or a disabled person should have assets of or below 4,250 US Dollars or less.
The categories of people who are not deemed eligible for the program are individuals on strike, people without a documented immigration status, students who attend college for more than half time, and particular immigrants who are lawfully present.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Across The States Of America
By the end of the month of March, the federal emergency SNAP benefits would come to an end. However many of the states of the nation have already made decisions to put an end to the boosted payments.
As SNAP comes as a program that is a combination of both federal and state governments, a large number of families have already witnessed fewer payments on their EBT cards during the period of high inflation.
The total number of states that have already ended the program is 21.
The total number of states waiting to see the expiry of the pandemic boost on the last day of this month, January 30, is 25.
The states are listed as:
- Alabama
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
The total number of states that would lower their boost payments on Feb 28 is six.
The families of the state would have to witness a deduction in their benefits, the families belong to the states:
- California
- Kansas
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Wisconsin
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How Will Social Security Impact SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)?
The COLA ( cost-of-living adjustment) decided for the year 2023 was a historic 8.7 percent, noted as the largest increase ever in the past 40 years. This had led to a significant hike in Social Security benefits as well.
The applicants of the family listed as beneficiaries in both Social Security and SNAP would face a major backlash.
If an applicant is a SNAP beneficiary and has been receiving Social Security benefits too then the SNAP payments would see a deduction. This is due to the fact that the Social security received by a person is also counted as an income.
As per the notice issued by the USDA (the United States Department of Agriculture), the Social Security benefits received by a family are counted as a major source of income for households that get SNAP benefits.
If an applicant has received a higher benefit in the Social Security check, that would result in a lower benefit in the SNAP.
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