COVID SNAP allotments in Conn. to end after February

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) emergency allotments that have been active since March 2020 will expire after one final payment in February. The Connecticut Department of Social Services said it will announce the last emergency payment date soon.

The additional monthly funds were a temporary measure utilized by federal officials through the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act. Eligible Connecticut recipients were seeing an additional $95 — at minimum — added to their SNAP funds and/or EBT cards while the boosts were active.

These extra benefits were always set to expire once the federal government declared COVID-19 no longer a national health emergency. However, the health emergency was extended until May, but funding for COVID SNAP (also referred to as food stamps) payments ended with the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023.

Additionally, normal SNAP benefits increased while the COVID allotments were active. At the beginning of the 2023 fiscal year, the federal government increased SNAP benefits by a little over 12 percent for all households. This meant that a household of one who was receiving a maximum monthly benefit of $250 could now receive $281 under the new guidelines. These amounts are determined by a combination of household size and income (both net and gross income).

Now, beneficiaries will return to receiving a single SNAP payment per month as determined by their eligibility status.

With this, the Connecticut government reminds recipients that eligibility factors are subject to change. At the beginning of the new year, the federal government increased Social Security assistance by 8.7 percent. While this change was set to help many families fight the rising cost of living due to inflation, the additional income may also change SNAP eligibility. The Connecticut Department of Social Services said that if residents saw changed to their January SNAP allotment, this may be why.