Texas Expands Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
AUSTIN, TX — Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday announced the state will provide more than $168 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits to help Texans during the coronavirus crisis.
The Texas Health and Human Services received federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide the maximum, allowable amount of SNAP benefits to recipients based on family size, according to the governor' office. The emergency allotments are currently authorized for the months of April and May, officials said, and will affect all SNAP recipients in Texas.
"As the state continues to respond to COVID-19, we are working closely with our agency partners to ensure families have access to nutritious meals," Abbott said in a prepared statement. "I thank the U.S. Department of Agriculture for quickly granting this approval. These emergency benefits will give hundreds of thousands of Texans the additional support they need to provide for their families during this challenging time."
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Texas Health and Human Services Access and Eligibility Deputy Executive Commissioner Wayne Salter explained the benefits of the expansion: "The additional SNAP food benefits will give families who are facing economic uncertainty security in knowing that they will continue to have access to food," he said. "SNAP has always been a safety net for households in their time of need. A pandemic will not stop our work to continue helping families purchase nutritious foods."
By virtue of the expanded allotments, SNAP recipients will see the additional amount on their Lone Star Card by April 15 for this month’s benefits, and by May 15 next month, according to the governor's office. Staggered disbursements will begin April 9, officials said. SNAP recipients do not need to take any further action to receive the additional benefits, officials noted.
More information about SNAP benefits is available here.
This article originally appeared on the Austin Patch
