Massachusetts SNAP recipients to see increase in benefits
(The Center Square) – Massachusetts has seen a 25% uptick in the number of households receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP benefits, since the pandemic began.
As of June 2021, 571,000 Massachusetts households were receiving SNAP benefits, according to information from the Department of Transitional Assistance, which oversees the program. Before the pandemic, the average monthly caseload was 450,000.
Massachusetts allocated $2.7 billion in SNAP benefits in fiscal 2021, an increase of $1.6 billion from fiscal year 2019. The state distributed $1.5 billion in benefits in fiscal 2020.
The state is set to receive an additional $428 million in October as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s reevaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan. President Joe Biden ordered the agency in January to conduct a review of the plan, which is an estimate of food cost for a family of four. The review was the first reevaluation of the plan’s purchasing power since it was introduced in 1975, according to a USDA news release.
This is the first time in the programs 46 yr history that a fundamental adjustment is being made. The Urban Institute found that the maximum SNAP benefit did not cover the cost of a meal in 96% of US counties, including every county in Massachusetts.— Patrick O'Connor (@PatrickMOConnor) August 25, 2021
The revised plan used data from stores and not households based on current food prices, American dietary habits, food nutrients and dietary guidance, the agency said.
The increase would give families an extra $36.34 per person, per month, beginning Oct. 1. The maximum allotment for a family of four in the 48 continental states is $835, according to information from the USDA.
The changes were made to give families access to healthier foods, the USDA said. Nine out of 10 families said cost was an obstacle to a healthier diet. The new guidelines emphasize fish and orange and red vegetables as part of a healthy diet.
Purchases approved by the SNAP program include a wide variety of foods including snack foods and nonalcoholic beverages. Families can also use SNAP benefits to purchase seeds to grow their own food.
The additional funding for the Thrifty Food Plan is separate from the additional benefits allocated as a result of the pandemic. The American Rescue Plan extended the additional 15% SNAP benefit increase through September of this year, which gave a family of four about $100 extra each month. States were also given extra funding to provide meals for families with children when the schools were closed.
Also during the pandemic, SNAP benefits were extended to some online retailers. In Massachusetts, ALDI, Amazon, Hannaford, Price Chopper Supermarkets, Stop & Shop and Walmart were approved as online vendors for SNAP recipients.
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