SNAP users’ benefits to increase 21% as pandemic aid ends

LONGVIEW — People using the federal food assistance program known as SNAP will receive a 21 percent permanent benefits increase this fall, as temporary COVID-19 pandemic relief to the program is set to expire.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average SNAP user’s benefits will permanently increase by $36.24 per month or $1.19 per day starting in October. The change comes as a 15 percent temporary increase to basic SNAP allotments is set to expire Sept. 30, according to the state.

SNAP, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, was formerly called food stamps and offers a debit card to low-income people to buy food at participating grocery stores.

Congress included additional temporary SNAP benefits during the pandemic. October’s permanent change was part of federal legislation that asked the USDA to recalculate current food costs for SNAP users. The USDA reports the revision included up-to-date food prices, and a plan to purchase more fish and red and orange vegetables to align with the department’s nutritional guidelines through 2025.

The USDA reports the “cost adjustment is the first time the purchasing power of the plan has changed since it was first introduced in 1975.” Washington is projected to receive $410 million more in SNAP benefits in 2022, according to the USDA.

The permanent increase in SNAP benefits comes when more people are using the service than in 2019 and receiving more monthly benefits. According to the USDA, the number of Americans on SNAP benefits increased by about 17 percent from 2019 to 2021. The average monthly amount increased by about 62 percent during the same time period, from about $130 to $210.