New York’s Gov. Kathy Hochul and 30 More States Extending Emergency SNAP Allotment Through November 2022
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Oct. 21 that the state will extend the emergency allotment of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits into November 2022 and beyond in an effort to help SNAP recipients deal with the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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In a news release, Hochul said the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) will continue issuing the emergency benefits at least through February 2023. All New York households enrolled in SNAP will receive the maximum allowable level of food benefits for October 2022 through February 2023. Households already near or at the maximum benefit level — $939 for a household of four — will receive a supplemental payment of at least $95.
“These emergency supplemental benefits have been vital to our efforts to combat food insecurity by helping struggling New Yorkers to feed themselves and their families,” Hochul said in a statement.
SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, is a federal program that provides food-purchasing assistance to low-income households. Although it is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the program is administered at the state level, and individual states set payment dates and other rules. Recipients now pay with Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards instead of food stamps, though some states have different names for the cards.
U.S. households that qualify for SNAP benefits were given a financial boost during the pandemic in the form of an emergency allotment that provides $95 or more in additional funds each month. In most states, that allotment has already expired, but at least 11 states and the District of Columbia have extended it through November 2022.
As long as there’s a national public health emergency in place — and individual states have established state-level emergency declarations — those states can opt to keep providing monthly emergency allotments.
In addition to New York, these 30 other states (plus D.C. and Guam) have extended their emergency SNAP allotments through November 2022, according to USDA data as of Oct. 26, 2022:
Alabama
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Guam
Hawaii
Illinois
Kansas
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
SNAP benefits can be used to purchase the following food items:
Fruits and vegetables
Meat, poultry and fish
Dairy products
Breads and cereals
Snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages
Seeds and plants that produce food for the household to eat.
Among the items you can’t buy with SNAP benefits are alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, vitamins, medicines, supplements, live animals, pet foods, cleaning supplies, paper products and cosmetics. In most states, SNAP benefits also cannot be used to purchase prepared food that is hot at the point of sale or meant to be eaten in-store.
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For further details, updates and to distinguish which benefits have been extended in your state, be sure to visit the USDA page for emergency allotments.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: New York’s Gov. Kathy Hochul and 30 More States Extending Emergency SNAP Allotment Through November 2022
