In February, Virginia's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will continue to distribute emergency payments to qualified households. On Wednesday, February 16, the increased benefits will be immediately placed into qualifying EBT cards.
A public emergency declaration has made additional funds available for food and other requirements. According to WAVY, you can figure out how much you qualify for based on your household size using the table below:
SNAP income limits for 2022 (48 states and DC)
Household Size | Gross Monthly Income | Net Monthly Income | Amount |
1 | $1,396 | $1,074 | $250 |
2 | $1,888 | $1,452 | $459 |
3 | $2,379 | $1,830 | $658 |
4 | $2,871 | $2,209 | $853 |
5 | $3,363 | $2,587 | $992 |
6 | $3,855 | $2,965 | $1,190 |
7 | $4,347 | $3,344 | $1,316 |
8 | $4,839 | $3,722 | $1,504 |
Each additional member | +$492 | +$379 | $188 |
Visit the Department of Social Services website or the CommonHelp portal to apply for benefits online. Gov. Jim Justice introduced the Job Jumpstart Program to assist West Virginians returning to the workforce in his State of the State address for 2022 on Thursday night.
Residents of West Virginia who receive unemployment benefits, SNAP assistance, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits and find work between January 1 and August 12, 2022, may be eligible for the Job Jumpstart Program. A one-time payment of $1,500 will be made as part of the program.
How to apply for SNAP benefits?
Between January 1 and August 12, 2022, anyone who completes a WorkForce West Virginia authorized training program and acquires a certificate may be eligible. The program will be accessible on a first-come, first-served basis beginning February 1 and will run through August 12, 2022, or until money runs out, as per WTRF.
Applicants must work for at least 32 hours per week for eight weeks in order to be considered. This program may be available to West Virginians who have exhausted their unemployment benefits after January 1, 2022, have re-entered the workforce, or are looking for work.
WorkforceWV.org/jjp has all of the necessary information and applications for the Job Jumpstart Program. Interested applicants should fill out the pre-screening questionnaire and be prepared to show proof of current West Virginia residency, a valid Federal or State Driver's License or I.D., and either proof of employment or credentials if enrolled in an authorized training program.
Per GOBankingRates, the USDA updates the maximum allotments, deductions, and income eligibility conditions for SNAP each fiscal year to account for increases in the cost of living. However, there have been some significant modifications to the amount of SNAP benefits that persons and families will get for the current fiscal year, which began on October 1, 2021.
A temporary 15 percent increase in SNAP payments was implemented in January 2021. But the boost expired on September 30, 2021. Thankfully, the USDA recently reevaluated the Thrifty Food Plan, which is used to determine SNAP benefits, and raised the plan's purchasing power by 21% for the first time since 1975.
As a result, the SNAP maximum benefit levels rose immediately after the interim 15 percent hike ended. The financial impact was mitigated by the change to the TFP even though the temporary 15 percent rise had ended.
Emergency allotments from each state, which were distinct from the 15% increase, are still in force in most states although they will be phased down when the public health emergency ends. The average SNAP payment will thereafter be around $169 per person, up from the $133 benefit they would have gotten before the USDA reevaluated the Thrifty Food Plan.
