Higher SNAP Benefits Will Be Given to Some; Others May No Longer Receive Food Stamps by February

In recent years, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits have increased significantly.

This is a result of the increased cost of living as well as adjustments to the way benefits are calculated. Increased SNAP benefits have helped reduce poverty and food insecurity, but millions of Americans continue to struggle to put food on the table.

SNAP Benefits 2023

SNAP payments are determined by subtracting the household's income and other criteria from the maximum amount for that household size. SNAP payments rose by approximately 12.5% in October 2022 to reflect the rising cost of living. This number will be revised in October 2023.

In the majority of the United States, the maximum monthly SNAP payment for a family of four is now $939. That is around $7.70 per person every day. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) reports that the average SNAP payment for a family of four is $718.

This amounts to around $5.90 per person, each day, or less than $2 every meal. According to Motley Fool, here is the maximum SNAP payments based on household size for fiscal year 2023 in the majority of states.

Household Size	Maximum Monthly Benefit	Daily Benefit Per erson
1	$281	$9.24
2	$516	$8.48
3	$740	$8.11
4	$939	$7.72
5	$1,116	$7.34
6	$1,339	$7.34

Estimated average SNAP benefits in most states for fiscal year 2023:

Household Size	Estimated Average Monthly Benefit	Daily Benefit Per Person
1	$197	$6.48
2	$377	$6.20
3	$586	$6.42
4	$718	$5.90
5	$842	$5.54
6	$981	$5.38

Some States to End Distributing SNAP Benefit Payments

Thursday, the office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission has extended SNAP emergency food assistance for the month of January.

According to a press statement from Abbott's office, the commission will provide more than $344,1 million in emergency SNAP benefits in January, which is anticipated to assist about 1.6 million Texas households. Officials anticipate that all SNAP families will receive a minimum of $95 in emergency allotments by January 31, which will be deposited into the accounts of participants.

Per KXAN via MSN, the announcement stated that February 2023 will be the final month for eligible households to receive emergency SNAP payments due to recently enacted legislation. Officials stated that households will be notified of the change before the emergency allocation expires.

Pandemic SNAP, or P-EBT, will expire in February for SNAP beneficiaries in Massachusetts. The last SNAP emergency allotments are set to be distributed on March 2.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance, the P-EBT benefit amount is the difference between your usual SNAP benefit and your household's maximum benefit, with a minimum of $95 per household. The DTA also noted that benefits can roll over on a monthly basis, thus it is still possible to accrue further benefits beyond March 2, as per Yahoo.

Since March 2020, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act has permitted states to extend interim SNAP emergency allotments in order to offer benefit supplements to needy households and homes with children who are missing school meals.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the US Department of Agriculture can grant these benefits if the federal government has declared a public health emergency and the state has made a disaster or emergency proclamation.