Report by Paula Antolini, August 15, 2020, 9:25AM EDT
Over 210,600 Connecticut households enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will receive federal storm-related food replacement benefits, Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner Deidre S. Gifford announced today.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has approved $9.9 million in food assistance for Connecticut SNAP recipients statewide, based on an analysis of Tropical Storm Isaias power outages and federal guidelines for replacement benefits.
Commissioner Gifford thanked FNS officials for their fast response to Connecticut’s appeal for replacement food benefits, noting that the infusion of federal aid will help families and individuals struggling in the storm’s aftermath and from the continuing economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This equates to replacement benefits ranging from $10 to over $230, depending on income and household size,” she said. “The average replacement benefit is estimated at $61.”
All 210,600 SNAP-enrolled households (nearly 387,000 people) will automatically receive 20 percent of their August benefit amount in electronic benefit transfer (EBT) accounts on a date to be announced by DSS after systems planning.
Individual requests for SNAP replacement benefits are also being handled by DSS, with information available at www.ct.gov/snap and www.endhungerct.org. If individual replacement benefits are requested, DSS will determine the amount of replacement benefits and exclude the recipient from the statewide automatic distribution.
SNAP benefits can be used only for federally approved food items at supermarkets, grocery stores, approved online retailers and farmers’ markets.
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