Although the Department of Health and Human Services has renewed the current public health emergency through April of 2023, the federal government continues to cut back on crucial pandemic programs that help families access needed food. Starting in March 2023, SNAP recipients will no longer receive extra emergency food benefits known as SNAP Emergency Allotments (EA).
What are SNAP Emergency Allotments?
Starting in April 2020, the federal government allowed states to provide emergency allotments to SNAP recipients. These emergency food benefits, which were received as a second installment on recipients’ EBT cards, were provided to help people who receive SNAP get enough food for themselves and their families during the COVID-19 emergency.
These waivers will no longer be funded under the federal government’s new spending bill, signed into law in January 2023. As a result, February 2023 is the last month that the federal government will allow Oregon to issue pandemic emergency food benefits. In March 2023, SNAP recipients will only receive the regular amount on their benefit cards, and will not receive a second allotment later in the month.
By Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon