The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of disruption to people's lives, including their access to food. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted exemptions to certain states, allowing them to issue emergency allocations (supplements) based on a public health emergency. New York, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Illinois are among the states that have been granted these exemptions. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, helps people with limited incomes buy food.
Everyone who receives SNAP will receive an Emergency Assignment (EA). The amount of EA you receive depends on the size of your family and whether you are already receiving the maximum amount of benefits for your household. These new SNAP eligibility rules will last up to one month after the COVID-19 public health emergency is officially lifted. If you can receive benefits because of these new rules, your benefits will last until your next recertification, even if the public health emergency ends first.
Eligible participants include infants ages 9 to 11 months who receive food package III, in addition to children, and women who have CVB food in their food package.The USDA has also extended approved WIC exemptions for remote certifications, food replacements and other flexibilities until 90 days after the public health emergency expires. This means that eligible families will receive an additional amount of emergency food stamps in addition to their normal food stamp benefits. These emergency food benefits due to the COVID-19 pandemic are intended to help families who are food insecure or have problems accessing food.Once the federal public health emergency ends, so will emergency allocation benefits. The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is designed to provide economic relief to low- and moderate-income households around past due rent and utility bills for their primary residence accrued during the COVID-19 emergency.