NEVADA – Since March 2020, when the Coronavirus epidemic began, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients have received a second monthly payment called as Supplementary Emergency Allotments (SEA).

The second monthly payments will conclude on March 14, 2023.

Beginning in April, the only benefit program participants will receive is the initial monthly payment.

The Nevada Division of Welfare and Social Services, the state agency responsible for administering SNAP, extended SEA payments for as long as allowed during the federal government’s designation of a Public Health Emergency.

According to the End of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023/, SNAP payments for residents of Mono County will be terminated in March 2023, as the benefit amounts authorized at the beginning of the pandemic are slated to expire.

On December 29, 2022, Congress approved and President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, which slashed benefits across the country.

The reduction in benefits will vary based on the size and income of the household. During the epidemic, a senior who ordinarily receives $23 per month in SNAP benefits received $281, the maximum SNAP benefit for a household of one.

When emergency allotments expire in April, the senior will receive $23, the initial SNAP payment without the $258 SEA supplement – a drop of 91.81 percent. Two adults with two children who would typically qualify for $100 per month in SNAP have received $939, the maximum monthly benefit for a family of four.

Beginning in April, the household’s SNAP benefits will be reduced by 89.35%.

Robert Thompson, administrator of the Nevada Division of Welfare and Social Services, stated, “The elimination of these supplemental benefits for Nevada families will reduce the income of some working families and seniors by an average of 80-90%, which will be difficult for many.”

During the PHE declaration, DWSS has awarded more than $1 billion in supplementary emergency SNAP benefits to Nevada residents. Prior to this move, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Services increased appropriations for food banks across the nation in an effort to combat food poverty.

Formerly known as “Food Stamps,” the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is designed to assist low-income households in purchasing nutritious food from designated retailers.

Visit AccessNevada.dwss.nv.gov or call 1-800-992-0900 to apply.

Credits: 2 News

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