This Friday, families participating in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) will receive additional funds as part of a federal allocation program. The $33.2 million in emergency funds will be distributed to more than 200,000 Connecticut families this Friday, June 17th.
The money is part of the 2020 Coronavirus Response Act and raises the total amount of emergency SNAP funding provided to the state to $747.9 million since the start of the pandemic.
The funding began in January of last year and is expected to continue monthly for the time being. It is contingent on ongoing state and federal public health emergencies.
As part of the new funding, families will receive at least an additional $95, if they are already approved for maximum benefits. Households not approved for maximum benefits will receive funds on a sliding scale, but it will not be lower than $95. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the average household will receive $155.50.
Connecticut is no stranger to food insecurity. According to estimates, around 1 in 10 residents of the state experience difficulty finding and purchasing healthy foods, including 85,000 children. In some of the state’s largest cities, the food insecurity rate can be between 15-20% with Hartford seeing the largest number of food insecure households.
Around 229,000 families share $19.8 million in benefits each year, averaging about $185 a month per family. Actual benefits vary based on income. SNAPbenefits can be used at most grocery stores and a number of farmer’s markets across the state.
Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program participants won’t need to take any additional action to receive the emergency benefits. They will appear on EBT cards on Friday.
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