Connecticut Department of Social Service reports the following:
The Connecticut Department of Social Services announced that it delivered over $35.4 million in Emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to over 219,680 Connecticut households, January 18, 2023. DSS is also announcing that, pursuant to the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, next month will be the last distribution of Emergency SNAP benefits to CT SNAP recipients.
Authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, this federal allocation provided a minimum of $95 in extra food aid to all enrolled families and individuals, raising the state’s total emergency SNAP funding to over $1 billion since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Specifically:
- All 219,860 SNAP-eligible households statewide will receive the emergency benefits on their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards by 5 p.m. on January 18, 2023.
- Households already eligible for the maximum monthly SNAP benefit will receive an extra $95.
- The remaining households that don’t usually qualify for the maximum monthly SNAP benefit because of income or other factors will receive extra benefits of at least $95 but averaging an estimated $156.77 (depending on their specific benefit situation).
- With this additional $35.4 million allocation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, emergency benefits are totaling over $1 billion in additional SNAP assistance statewide over 33 months, with commensurate spending at supermarkets, groceries, farmers markets, online and other food retailers.
- The $95 increase results from President Biden’s January 22, 2021, executive order, which required the USDA to consider new guidance allowing states to increase SNAP emergency benefit allocations for all households, including those previously ineligible to receive it. This increase is expected to be ongoing, contingent on the continuation of the state and federal public health emergencies.
- All households also received their normal SNAP benefits, based on the new Thrifty Food Plan amounts, on one of the first three days of the month as they normally do, according to last name.
- If a household was granted regular SNAP benefits, or had a change made to their case, any day on or after Friday, January 6, the additional SNAP benefits will be added to the EBT card on the next Friday, depending on the date of granting.
- The recently signed federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 requires states to end the distribution of Emergency SNAP benefits after the February 2023 distributions. As a result, beginning in March 2023, CT SNAP recipients will not see a second SNAP deposit mid-month.
In light of recent reports of skimming and phishing scams affecting EBT cardholders, DSS continues to strongly recommend that clients change the PIN for their EBT cards periodically to prevent theft.