Biden administration boosts food stamp benefits

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• President Joe Biden authorized a significant and permanent hike of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
• The average monthly benefit has increased from $121 to $157 per eligible individual.
• The increase was part of Biden’s administration effort to bolster the social safety net.

Marking the largest increase in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), President Joe Biden has granted a remarkable and perpetual increase of food stamp assistance to all eligible needy families and households across the country.

The SNAP program, which is set to begin in October, will increase by over 25 percent than the pre-pandemic levels. Around 42 million SNAP beneficiaries could avail the boosted federal assistance.

In layman’s terms, the average monthly benefits per individual would significantly increase from $121 to $157, which would be the standard rate moving forward. The program would be part of the USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan’s major relaunch.

The boost was included in the current administration’s plan to revitalize the social safety net. Per food security activists and other concerned groups, the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the long-lasting inadequacies in the safety net.

According to activists, the previous levels of pre-pandemic SNAP assistance were really lacking. Many families have opted to pick low-quality and less nutritious foods, or they just remain hungry because of the insufficient funds.

As explained by feedingamerica.org, the SNAP is a “federal program that helps millions of low-income Americans put food on the table.”

The program “provides families with their basic nutritional needs to get them through temporary hard times.”

The benefits are being provided on a monthly basis via electronic debit cards, which can be used to buy food from over 238,00 authorized retailers across the US, the site explained.

The latest food stamp benefit boost will be officially announced by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Monday.

The New York Times was the first news outlet to report this update which was confirmed by a representative from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Source: MSN.com