Those who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program assistance will be able to get the maximum amount of benefits allowed for up to two months due to the coronavirus pandemic causing financial strain across the nation.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday emergency allotments totaling nearly $2 billion per month under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
Recommended Videos
[CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING: Daily ClickOrlando.com newsletter delivered to your inbox]
“These are unprecedented times for American families who are facing joblessness and hunger. USDA is providing a 40% increase in SNAP benefits to ensure that low-income individuals have enough food to feed themselves and their families during this national emergency,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said.
The USDA provided an example to show the impact of the increase. A family with two adults and three children and no income is eligible for $768 per month but usually due to reportable income and other factors, a family of that size would actually receive $528 in monthly SNAP benefits.
Under the emergency allotment, that family would receive the extra $240 per month to receive the maximum amount under law of $768.
All SNAP recipients across all 50 states and three territories will see the maximum amount of benefits allowed per house holds for up to two months.
In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that SNAP recipients will get the maximum benefits for the month of May.
“With nearly three million Floridians participating in SNAP alone, I’m confident that these policy initiatives are in our state’s best interest – they will help us safely and gradually re-establish normalcy and ultimately allow families to thrive post-COVID-19,” DeSantis said. “These timely and proactive efforts taken by DCF helps ensure the good people of Florida have access to the support and resources they need.”
The chart below, created using information from FreshEBT.com, shows income requirements and the maximum amount of benefits available per household.
| Household size | Gross monthly income limit | Net monthly income limit | Maximum benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,082 | $1,041 | $194 |
| 2 | $2,818 | $1,410 | $355 |
| 3 | $3,555 | $1,778 | $509 |
| 4 | $4,292 | $2,146 | $646 |
| 5 | $5,028 | $2,515 | $768 |
| 6 | $5,765 | $2,883 | $921 |
| 7 | $6,502 | $3,251 | $1,018 |
| 8 | $7,238 | $3,620 | $1,164 |
| Each additional member | ➕ $737 | ➕ $360 | ➕ $146 |
Earlier this month, the USDA approved a request to allow Floridians to use their Electronic Benefit Transfer card to buy groceries online. Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered the increase of SNAP benefits to the maximum allowed per household around that time.
To apply for SNAP benefits in Florida, click here.
To keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6′s coronavirus newsletter or go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.