PROVIDENCE – Approximately 10% of the state’s population who rely on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments will no longer receive COVID-19 emergency allotments after next month.
The R.I. Department of Human Services announced late Monday that the federal government will end the COVID-19-related benefit payments after next month’s issuance. The department said starting March 1, households that receive SNAP benefits will only receive their regular monthly SNAP issuance on the first of the month.
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RIDHS said Congress in March 2020 temporarily increased SNAP benefits due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic at the time. But, because of Congress’ recent passage of the Congressional Consolidated Appropriations Act, SNAP recipients will no longer receive the additional emergency allotment, the department said.
The RIDHS’s announcement late Monday was what the Rhode Island Community Food Bank warned about back in November in its 2022 Status Report on Hunger in Rhode Island. The report noted that food insecurity, due to inflation and assistance programs expiring, has gotten worse than what it was during the pandemic.
RIDHS spokesperson Jim Beardsworth told Providence Business News on Tuesday that this decision will impact around 140,000 Rhode Islanders who receive SNAP benefits. He said the average household received $148 in emergency benefits in addition to their regular allotments and approximately $378.9 million in emergency benefits have been issued since the pandemic’s genesis in March 2020.
Beardsworth said RIDHS is continuing to review guidance and overall impacts on the expiring of emergency COVID-19 SNAP benefits and any additional information or updates “would be communicated publicly as warranted.” He also said households with children may be able to apply for Rhode Island Works if they are not already receiving assistance from the program.
RIDHS also said it has on its website a list of SNAP outreach providers who can offer clients additional information on the changes.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
