COVID era SNAP supplement gets lifeline in House
A plan by the governor to provide some portion of an expiring federal food benefit to state residents moved a step forward this week, but probably not in time to help ease the loss of extra COVID-era funding due to end Thursday.
“Project Bread is optimistic that our state legislature will pass Governor Healey’s supplemental budget and provide critical resources to Massachusetts families statewide. As of January 2023, 21% of households with children are facing food insecurity,” Project Bread CEO Erin McAleer told the Herald.
On Tuesday, the members of the state House Ways and Means Committee agreed to report favorably on a supplemental budget proposal offered by Gov. Maura Healey and which would partially cover the loss of the increased food benefit.
Residents using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, through COVID relief efforts, have seen their benefits upped for the past couple of years, often by hundreds of dollars per month. That officially ended in December, when Congress voted to cease certain pandemicera programs, including the emergency authorization which increased SNAP benefits, the federal program formerly known as food stamps.
It couldn’t come at a worse time, according to food security advocates, who worry the loss of those funds amid high inflation and record housing costs may break the bank for many low-income households.
According to Project Bread, “this means that more than 647,000 Massachusetts households will receive their last increased payment on March 2, 2023 and lose, on average, $151.46 per month in additional benefits.”
The governor was hoping to set program participants up with an “off-ramp” by providing 40% of the increased federal benefits, to be paid for three months before also expiring.
The House will meet in formal session Wednesday and potentially approve $585 million worth of bonding authorizations and $223 million in net spending to do just that. The bill would also keep in place the state’s free school meals program.
“With an additional $65 million set aside for Universal School Meals through June 2023, this supplemental budget ensures that children will be able to eat school lunch and breakfast each day at no cost to their families, a lifeline for many who are navigating changes to their groceries budget amidst ongoing inflation,” McAleer told the Herald.
Unfortunately for those using SNAP, the state Senate is not slated to take up the bill this week, meaning it could be sometime before it gets to Healey for her signature and even more time before families see any benefit, if they ever do.
“The end of extra COVID SNAP benefits are also bringing a major change to many individuals’ and families’ budgets, and we support Governor Healey’s proposal to fund an additional 3 months of extra SNAP benefits at 40% of their emergency allotment benefit amount, a statewide average of $60.58 per household monthly,” McAleer said.