This month, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries can expect new cash payments to be paid out soon. SNAP is a cornerstone federal social assistance program that supports approximately 40 million beneficiaries. The program is responsible for ensuring that beneficiaries are able to afford grocery and food expenses while actively working to ensure beneficiaries are able to find stable employment. Payment dates are managed by individual states, with payments differing depending on where you live.
SNAP provides a lifeline for millions
SNAP has consistently been hailed as an essential program for low-income individuals and families. The program has played a critical role in preventing childhood poverty and is a key player in keeping individuals out of destitution. The primary purpose of the program is to provide benefits to beneficiaries specifically intended to cover food expenses. \
However, the program has a long-term objective of helping its beneficiaries find stable employment, with the overall goal of getting beneficiaries off the program. In order to continue receiving benefits, able-bodied beneficiaries have to adhere to specific work requirements. If you are an able-bodied individual between the ages of 18 and 52, you generally need to work for 80 hours per week to continue receiving benefits. If you do not meet this requirement, you are only eligible to receive SNAP benefits for a maximum of three months within three years.
When will cash benefits be paid out?
While SNAP is a federally funded program, it is up to individual states to distribute and manage payments to beneficiaries who reside in their state. This means that there is no universal payment schedule for SNAP beneficiaries, unlike for Social Security beneficiaries. Your exact payment date is generally arranged according to your case number.
While some states distribute benefits over the course of the whole month, such as Florida, which distributes benefits between the first and twenty-eighth of the month, others distribute benefits within the first ten days of the month, such as California. Beneficiaries can refer to the USDA information on SNAP payments for exact payment dates for their particular state.
Extra payments for SNAP beneficiaries and new changes soon
Over the summer vacation period, SNAP beneficiaries were able to receive additional ‘Sunbucks’ payments in order to ensure beneficiaries were able to handle the additional food expenses with children being home for the summer vacation period. With schools starting back up, SNAP benefits will revert back to their regular amounts.
However, from next year, some significant changes are expected to come the way of SNAP beneficiaries regarding the foods they are allowed to purchase using their benefits. Currently, beneficiaries are only allowed to purchase the following foods using their benefits:
- Fruits and vegetables;
- Meat, poultry, and fish;
- Dairy products;
- Breads and cereals;
- Other foods such as snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages; and
- Seeds and plants, which produce food for the household to eat.
However, beneficiaries have limitations on certain products, such as ‘junk food’ and other sugary products. Additionally, beneficiaries are not permitted to purchase alcohol, cigarettes, tobacco, vitamins and supplements, and pet food using their benefits. However, from next year, some states are tightening these restrictions on their payments.
Tennessee, South Carolina, West Virginia, Florida, Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas recently submitted waivers to ban the purchase of all sugary drinks and other junk food products using SNAP benefits. Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia have already been approved to limit the purchase of products that have a high sugar content. The new changes are intended to encourage healthy living among beneficiaries and to educate them on holistic and nutritious food choices.
Disclaimer: Our coverage of stimulus checks, tax reliefs, tax rebates, tax credits, and other payments is based on the official sources listed in the article. All payment amounts and dates, as well as eligibility requirements, are subject to change by the governing institutions. Always consult the official source we provide to stay up to date and obtain information for your decision-making.
