In recent years, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has been a lifeline for many families. It offers food benefits to low-income households, which they can use to purchase basics, including fruit, vegetables, meat, and dairy goods.
SNAP Benefits 2022
The federal government permitted states to make additional payments through emergency SNAP allocations during the pandemic. These imply that every qualifying household is eligible to receive the maximum monthly payment, which in most states is $939 for a family of four. Families that currently receive the maximum amount gain an additional $95 on top of that.
That extra money might significantly impact recipient households’ bank accounts as Christmas approaches. Unfortunately, only 13 states have officially approved the additional payments for December, even though more than 35 states issued emergency payments in November.
These 13 states will pay emergency food benefits in December
The following states will continue receiving emergency food assistance through December 2022, according to the USDA:
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Maine
- Maryland
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
A few announcements might have been postponed due to Thanksgiving, so a few more states might still be paying emergency allotments in December. As of November 28th, this list was accurate.
READ MORE: SNAP Benefits Oregon: Here’s How Much Oregonians Will Receive in December!
Will SNAP continue in 2023?
Since Congress is divided and the Republicans control the house, there are concerns that the midterm election results in 2022 could reduce programs like SNAP.
The GOP might attempt to lessen accessibility by enforcing stricter job requirements, according to analysts like Karen Dolan, Director of the Criminalization of Poverty Project at the Institute for Policy Studies.
It is due for renewal in 2023, so keep an eye on it to observe potential changes to SNAP.
Many of these improvements, like the 15 percent benefit boost and the removal of the punitive three-month time limit for low-income adults without children who lose their full-time jobs, have come to an end, according to Dolan, who spoke to GOBankingRates.
The 2023 Farm Bill should make it a priority to renew these and other successful initiatives. Those initiatives include expanding benefits to Puerto Rico and other US territories to reduce family food insecurity, child hunger, and poverty, particularly in light of the current high price of food.
READ MORE: Texas SNAP Benefits: Where to Use EBT Cards?
