PIERRE – South Dakotans who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits could receive extra help to purchase food, the Department of Social Services announced today.
“SNAP provides important nutritional assistance benefits to children and families, the elderly, the disabled, unemployed, as well as working families,” said DSS Secretary Laurie Gill. “SNAP helps supplement monthly budgets of low-income families to buy the food they need to maintain good health. As South Dakotans deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, many could use this extra help to feed their families.”
The federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act allows for an increase in SNAP benefits for those recipient households that are not currently receiving the maximum allotment. An estimated 21,000 South Dakota families will see an increase that will bring their SNAP benefit up to the maximum amount. SNAP recipients who already receive the benefit maximum will see no change.
SNAP benefit amounts are based on household size and circumstances. The SNAP benefits amounts are established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). For more information about SNAP benefit amounts, please go to www.fns.usda.gov/snap/ recipient/eligibility.
Increased benefits will be automatically loaded onto SNAP recipients’ EBT cards and there is no need for anyone to re-apply or call. Recipients who are eligible for these allotments will receive a notice indicating the amount of this additional benefit. The supplemental benefit is limited to two months and is allowable for households who received SNAP in March and/or April 2020. Eligible recipients will receive the additional benefits for March on April 24 and the additional benefits for April on May 23. This is in addition to their regular monthly SNAP benefit which will continue to be issued on the tenth of each month.
“The additional benefit is intended to help families stay safe and remain healthy in the coming months,” Gill said.
Families impacted by the current situation who are in need can go to the Department of Social Services website at dss.sd.gov to find an online application for the SNAP program, as well as a variety of other programs and resources that may be able to assist your family.
