SNAP's Extra Food Assistance Program Expires Today

by BoroPark24 Staff

More than a million New Yorkers who received extra government help paying for grocery bills during COVID will see their supplementary assistance expire as of today.

On average, this will mean the nearly 30 million recipients across the U.S. will see a deduction of about $90 less per month as the emergency allotments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP benefits, return to usual levels determined by a household's income, size, and certain expenses.

The timing, coming right before Purim and Pesach, couldn't be worse for families already suffering from the tremendous inflationary price increases of more than 6.41% over the last twelve months, with many staple items such as eggs having increased by 60% or more. 

The emergency program was originally enacted in March 2020 and was intended to continue as long as the COVID-19 public health emergency was in force. 

As the public health emergency declaration is set to expire in May, the extra SNAP assistance is no longer a valid allotment.

photo credit: Flickr