Families in need getting boost in SNAP benefits

Food with receipt. Undated | Photo by Pixabay, St. George News

SALT LAKE CITY — Families in need of extra assistance in the form of food benefits will be getting a boost. The Utah Department of Workforce Services has announced it will begin issuing additional Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits up to the maximum allotment based on household size for the months of April and May 2020, to eligible individuals and families.

Stock image, St. George News

“There are many Utah families who are caught between reduced hours or unemployment and waiting for other temporary assistance to help them make ends meet until it is safe to return to work,” said Jon Pierpont, executive director of Workforce Services. “By making these additional federal funds available to eligible recipients, we can help ensure Utah’s most vulnerable have access to the basic necessity of food during this incredibly difficult time.”

The first supplemental payments for the month of April will be issued on Sunday. May supplemental payments will be issued on May 31. All eligible recipients will receive supplemental payments for April and May by June 28. Recipients who already receive the maximum allotment will not receive additional SNAP benefits.

After Gov. Gary Herbert issued a state of emergency and the passing of the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Workforce Services applied for and received a waiver from the USDA Food and Nutrition Services to provide these additional funds to eligible SNAP recipients.

Eligibility for SNAP benefits has not changed. Individuals in need of food assistance can apply online at jobs.utah.gov/mycase.

For reference, the maximum SNAP allotment based on household size is available online. The supplemental amount will be the difference between the maximum allotment for the household size and the current monthly allotment SNAP recipients already received. For example, a family of four who currently receives a $346 monthly allotment, would receive a supplement of $300.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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