REQUESTS FOR FOOD STAMPS SOAR
Most cities in Hampton Roads have witnessed increases of more than 150% in applications for SNAP benefits amid the coronavirus outbreak
The spread of coronavirus has left thousands of people out of work in the state and needing extra help to pay for groceries.
Applications for food stamps, more formally known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, increased by at least two-fold in most southeastern Virginia cities since Gov. Ralph Northam first asked residents to practice social distancing in mid-March, according to data provided by the Virginia Department of Social Services.
And the Tidewater area isn’t alone.
Applications have increased by 50% between February and March across Virginia, said Cletisha Lovelace, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Social Services.
“We do attribute the increase in SNAP applications to COVID-19,” Lovelace said.
SNAP benefit offices began noticing an uptick in requests for aid the week Northam asked people to practice social distancing and ordered a limit of 10 patrons for restaurants, fitness centers and theaters.
The flood of SNAP applications really began the last week of March, after the governor banned gatherings of more than 10 people and closed non-essential businesses and K-12 schools for the rest of the academic year.
Between March 16 and April 11, most cities in Hampton Roads have seen more than 150% increases in applications for SNAP benefits, according to data provided by the state.
More than 680,000 individuals receive SNAP benefits in Virginia, and the average monthly SNAP benefit per participant is $119 to spend on food at grocery stores, according to the Department of Social Services.
Teresa Washington-Fry, a benefits program manager for Hampton’s Department of Human Services, said most of the applications she has reviewed are from people who lost their jobs and don’t have an income source.
March and April tend to be slower months because that is when people usually receive tax refunds, Washington-Fry said. She has noticed the number of daily applications are slowing down as people are getting stimulus money.
“It is normally not a heightened period for us,” she said. On March 25, the state began issuing emergency benefits to SNAP participants to give families additional help during the coronavirus pandemic. The department will increase a household’s current monthly allotment to the maximum allowed through April.
SNAP applications are normally processed within 30 days. But the state has allowed localities to waive in-person interviews to ensure people get aid quickly during the COVID-19 crisis, Lovelace said. People with the most need are being evaluated first and their applications are being expedited and processed within seven days. All applicants must still meet the income requirements.