SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Inflation, stagnant federal funding for food programs and high housing costs mean that demand at food banks still hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels.

The manager of the long-troubled water system in Missisisppi’s capital city has proposed a slight rate increase.

Texas Democrats in Congress are urging the federal government to audit the state’s Medicaid eligibility system

A federal shutdown would put thousands of Texans in financial precarity. Congress has less than a week left until the end of the fiscal year on Oct. 1, and a shutdown appears imminent.

The must-pass package of legislation known as the farm bill, which is renewed every five years, funds critical crop insurance and loans to farmers and food to low-income families.

A requirement to work 80 hours a month, starting in September, could affect 44,000 Texans over age 49. Meanwhile, attention in Congress shifts to the farm bill’s significant impact on food stamp policy.

A new state law increases what SNAP applicants’ vehicles can be worth before they’re disqualified for federal food assistance. But most states don’t take car values into consideration at all.

Democrats are deeply conflicted about the food aid requirements that President Joe Biden negotiated as part of the debt ceiling deal.

A Republican attempt to expand work requirements for federal food aid in debt legislation moving through Congress would increase federal spending by $2.1 billion over 10 years.

People who rely on government assistance for food could face changes if the new debt ceiling deal is passed in Congress.

The value of a household’s vehicles disqualified nearly 55,000 people seeking federal food assistance in 2022. House Bill 1287 increases the threshold of car values that lead to SNAP applicants being denied aid.

The federal Farm Bill is must-pass legislation that Congress debates every five years. It includes billions of dollars in farm subsidies and pays for food assistance programs.

Work requirements for federal aid programs have emerged as a sticking point in ongoing negotiations over raising the nation’s debt ceiling, and President Joe Biden has signaled openness to a possible compromise even as many in his party have balked.

During the pandemic, Texans received extra money on their Lone Star cards through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, also known as food stamps. That extra money ends this month.

Pregnancy forced Destiny Williams to quit her job. She almost died during childbirth. Now with a newborn in tow, she’s struggling to build a more stable life for her and her children.

Thousands of local families are bracing for the end of extra food stamp benefits now that the federal government is ending a pandemic-era policy that gave millions of families on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program more money every month.

SNAP households saw a minimum reduction of $95 in their benefits this month.

Low salaries for enlisted members, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ineligibility and high rates of unemployment for military spouses are some of the factors contributing to military hunger.

Taking care of your heart is very important for your health. That’s why the American Heart Association is working with San Antonio community partners and health organizations to improve the health and wellness of those in the community.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is providing more than $300 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food benefits for the month of August.

The pressures pushing up costs for consumers are also hitting agencies trying to combat hunger, making it hard to keep up with rising demand for their aid.

SAN ANTONIO – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients in 66 Texas counties can get automatic replacement benefits for spoiled or damaged food due to power and water outages in the winter storm. Greg Abbott on Wednesday announced that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission received federal funds to automatically provide the benefits. “Thank you to our federal partners for approving these replacement benefits for Texans in need,” Abbott said in a news release. Texans who do not live in the 66 eligible counties have until March 31 to report food losses. They can request their replacement food benefits by calling 2-1-1 and pressing option 2.

President Joe Biden wants to increase federal aid that makes up for free and reduced-cost school meals during the pandemic and the benefits of people receiving SNAP food stamps. Texas families receiving pandemic-era federal food assistance for students who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals will soon see a 15% increase in their benefits. That additional aid is one of three food access issues President Joe Biden addressed in an executive order last week. However, SNAP benefits remain widely recognized as one of the best ways to stimulate the economy during a crisis. A recent analysis from the USDA’s Economic Research Service estimates that $1.54 in economic activity results from every federal dollar spent on SNAP benefits.

Texas – A lot of Texans are wondering how to apply for food stamps this year. The current program for food benefits in Texas is called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. SNAP is a federal program that provides food assistance to approximately 1.4 million eligible low-income families and individuals in Texas, according to state officials. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, approximately $188 million in emergency food benefits has been provided by THHS. The THHS received federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to extend the maximum allowable amount of SNAP benefits to recipients based on family size.

Texans receiving emergency benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will continue to get their benefits through the month of September, according to Gov. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission will provide approximately $188 million in emergency food benefits in response to the coronavirus pandemic. “This emergency SNAP extension will help Texans provide healthy food for their families.”More than 972,000 SNAP households will see the additional amount on their Lone Star Card by September 15, according to state officials. The $188 million in emergency funds is in addition to $1 billion in benefits that have been provided to Texans from April through August, officials said. Texans in need can apply for benefits, including SNAP and Medicaid, at YourTexasBenefits.com.

Families on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or whose children receive free or reduced meals at school may be receiving an extra $285 this month per child. "The benefit is for families that are currently receiving SNAP benefits. But it's also been extended to any families that receive free and reduced-price meals within their school district," said Deborah Rice, assistant director of child nutrition at South San Antonio Independent School District. Abbott extends emergency SNAP benefits due to COVID-19 pandemicFamilies with children ages 5 to 18 years old that received SNAP benefits in March will automatically receive $285 per child in their Lone Stone Cards account. Families should check with their child's school district website for a link on how to apply for the P-EBT program.

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Health and Human Services will provide more than $168 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food benefits to help people in the state during the COVID-19 response, Gov. HHS got federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide the maximum allowable number of SNAP benefits to recipients based on family size, according to a news release. Anyone receiving SNAP benefits is included. “SNAP, commonly referred to as the food stamp program, supplements the budget of the working poor. "The additional food subsidy announced today by Governor Abbott, although still supplemental, will help fill a portion of the financial gap created by the economic crisis resulting from this pandemic.