SNAP benefits are changing: You will get only 1 payment per month starting in March 2023

(updated May 10, 2023 with additional local resource; original post: Jan. 19, 2023)

Do you receive SNAP benefits?

Emergency allotments are ending!

If you receive money from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps), the extra payment that was part of the COVID-19 pandemic relief program is ending.

  • You will receive an extra (second) payment in February 2023.

  • You will get only ONE payment per month starting in March 2023.

[Information provided in English and Spanish.]

What is changing?

  • The extra SNAP payment, called “Emergency Allotment,” will end in February 2023.

  • Starting in March 2023, only one SNAP payment will be loaded to your Electronic Balance Transfer (EBT) card in the first half of the month.

  • Call the state Customer Service Center at 877-395-8930 to verify the amount you will receive starting in March 2023.

What should I do?

According to the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), more than 1,042,615 Pennsylvania households will be affected by SNAP cuts.

Each SNAP participant will lose an average of $82 per month. The new average SNAP benefit will fall to $6 per person per day. (Note: FRAC based its information on U.S. Dept. of Agriculture data.)

  • Update your information with your County Assistance Office as soon as possible, so you receive all the benefits you are eligible for. (Your benefit amount is based on your income and the expenses the program allows you to report.)

Make sure the County Assistance Office (CAO) has up-to-date information

Make sure you report important changes, like:

Your address.

  • You may miss important updates if the County Assistance Office does not have your current address.

Your income and the income of others in your SNAP household.

  • Did you lose work hours or have a pay cut?

  • If you are earning less, you may qualify for more SNAP benefits.

Your expenses and other allowable deductions.

  • Are you paying more for childcare?

  • If you are a senior or have a disability, do you pay more than $35 in medical expenses per month? Providing proof of these expenses may help you qualify for more SNAP. Learn more at IncreasingSNAP-MedDeductions.pdf, or scroll down to see the flyer.

  • Did your rent, mortgage, or property taxes increase? In some cases, reporting this may help you qualify for more SNAP.

How and where to report a change to your information

  • Call the statewide Customer Service Center at 877-395-8930.

  • Use the MyCOMPASS PA mobile app (free on the Apple App or Google Play Store).

  • Online: www.compass.state.pa.us

  • Visit your local County Assistance Office to report changes in person.

    • County Assistance Offices are open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (Note that Delaware and Montgomery counties each have County Assistance Offices in two locations.) Locations in LASP’s service area include:

      • Bucks County

        • 1214 Veterans Highway, Bristol, PA 19007

        • Toll-Free: 800-362-1291 | Phone: 215-781-3300 | Fax: 215-781-3438

      • Chester County

        • 100 James Buchanan Drive, Thorndale, PA 19372

        • Toll-Free: 888-814-4698 | Phone: 610-466-1000 | Fax: 610-466-1130

      • Delaware County (Headquarters/Crosby District)

        • 701 Crosby St., Suite A, Chester, PA 19013

        • Phone: 610-447-5500 | Fax: 610-447-5399

      • Delaware County (Darby District)

        • 845 Main St., Darby, PA 19023

        • Phone: 610-461-3800 | Fax: 610-461-3900

      • Montgomery County (Norristown District)

        • 1931 New Hope St. Norristown, PA 19401

        • Toll-Free: 877-398-5571 | Phone: 610-270-3500 | Fax: 610-270-1678

      • Montgomery County (Pottstown District)

        • 24 Robinson St., Pottstown, PA 19464

        • Toll-Free: 800-641-3940 | Phone: 610-327-4280 | Fax: 610-327-4350

      • Look up all Pennsylvania County Assistance Offices

You do not need to spend all your SNAP

  • You can keep SNAP benefits on your EBT card if you want, so long as you use the card once every nine months to keep it active.

  • If you find that the extra SNAP is giving you a little more money for food than you need to spend, you can save them to spend in a later month to provide a little wiggle room for when the second payments end in March 2023.

Impact of this change in Pennsylvania

According to the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), more than 1,042,615 Pennsylvania households will be affected by SNAP cuts.

Each SNAP participant will lose an average of $82 per month. The new average SNAP benefit will fall to $6 per person per day. (Note: FRAC based its information on U.S. Dept. of Agriculture data.)

FRAC states, “Even before the cuts, food banks, pantries, and soup kitchens have reported high demand for assistance. SNAP provides nine times the number of meals the food bank network does, according to estimates from Feeding America.”

Additional resources

Legal Aid may be able to help if your SNAP benefits are cut off or denied

Contact Legal Aid for free legal services:

  • If your SNAP benefits are cut off or denied, or

  • If you think the benefit amount is wrong.

How to contact legal aid:

  • Legal Aid of Southeastern PA if you live in Delaware, Bucks, Chester or Montgomery counties: 877-429-5994 Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. or online 24/7 at lasp.org/apply.

  • Community Legal Services if you live in Philadelphia: 215-227-2400.

  • Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (All 67 counties in Pennsylvania are served by legal aid organizations that provide free legal help to qualified individuals.)

Increasing your SNAP benefits: Medical expense deductions

See the flyer below for information on increasing your SNAP benefits. If anyone in your household is age 60 or older, or has a disability, you may be able to count medical expenses as a deduction.

¿Recibe Beneficios de SNAP?

Las Asignaciones de Emergencia están Terminando!

¿QUÉ ESTÁ CAMBIANDO?

  • El pago adicional de SNAP, oficialmente denominado Asignaciones de Emergencia, finalizará en febrero de 2023.

  • A partir de marzo, solo se cargará un pago de SNAP a su tarjeta EBT en la primera mitad del mes.

  • Llame al centro de atención al cliente al 877-395-8930 para verificar el monto.

¿QUÉ TENGO QUE HACER?

  • El monto de su beneficio se basa en sus ingresos y los gastos que el programa le permite informar.

  • Asegúrese de reportar información actualizada tan pronto como sea posible, para que reciba todos los beneficios para los que es elegible.

ASEGÚRESE DE QUE LA OFICINA DE ASISTENCIA DEL CONDADO (CAO) TENGA INFORMACIÓN ACTUALIZADA

Asegúrese de informar cambios importantes, como:

Su Dirección.

  • Es possible que se pierda actualizaciones importantes si la oficina de aistencia no tiene su dirección actual.

Sus ingresos y los de otros en su hogar SNAP.

  • ¿Perdió horas de trabajo o le redujeron el salario? Si gana menos, puede calificar para más beneficios de SNAP

Sus gastos y otras deducciones permitidas.

  • ¿Está pagando más por el cuidado de los niños?

  • Si es una persona mayor o tiene una discapacidad, ¿paga más de $35 en gastos médicos al mes?Proporcionar prueba de estos gastos puede ayudarle a calificar para más SNAP. Obtenga más información en IncreasingSNAP-MedDeductions.pdf.

  • ¿Aumentaron sus impuestos sobre el alquiler, la hipoteca o la propiedad? En algunos casos, informar esto puede ayudarlo a calificar para más SNAP.

NO NECESITA GASTAR TODO Asistenci SU SNAP

Puede mantener los beneficios de SNAP en su tarjeta EBT si lo desea, siempre que use la tarjeta una vez cada 9 meses para mantenerla activa. Si descubre que el SNAP adicional le está dando un poco más de dinero para alimentos de lo que necesita gastar, puede guardarlos para gastarlos en un mes posterior para proporcionar un pequeño margen de maniobra para cuando finalicen los segundos pagos en marzo de 2023.

INFORME CAMBIOS EN UNAS DE LAS SIGUIENTES MANERAS:

  • Llame el numero de Servicio al Cliente al 877-395-8930.

  • Usando la aplicación móvil MyCOMPASS PA (gratis en la applicación Apple o Google Play Store).

  • Visite su Oficina de Asistencia local para informar los cambios en persona. Busque su Oficina local en cut.ly/philly-cao (Filadelfia) o vea una lista de todas las Oficinas en PA en cut,ly/cao-list.

RECURSOS ADICIONALES

  • Encuentre recursos locales, incluyendoNu despensas de alimentos en findhelp.org.

  • Llame al linea directa de Coalition Against Hunger's SNAP Hotline al 215-430-0556 o complete el formulario en linea en hungercoalition.org/snaphelp para ayuda con su solicitud, SAR (Reporte Semi Annual) o Recertification Anual.

  • ¿Está embarazada o tiene hijos menores de 5 años? Si recibe SNAP, califica para WIC. Inicie el proceso de solicitud en pawic.com o llame al 484-471-3320 para programar una cita.

  • Comuníquese con sharefoodprogram.org o llame al 215-223-2220 para encontrar una dispensa de alimentos cerca de usted.

  • Programas de Alimentos y Nutrición – Condado de Delaware (delcopa.gov).

  • Si sus beneficios de SNAP son cortados o negados, o si cree que el monto del beneficio esta encorecto comuníquese con uno de los siguientes servicios legales GRATUITOS:

  • Legal Aid of Southeastern PA si vive en uno de los siguientes condados: Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks, o Chester: 877-429-5994.

  • Community Legal Services si vive en Filadelfia 215-227-2400.

Marion Fraley