Emergency SNAP benefits to be issued this week in Delaware

Residents who receive food benefits will be getting a little extra later this week, state officials announced.

Delaware Division of Social Services announced Tuesday that it will issue emergency food benefits on Thursday to state residents who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.

“As our state continues to recover from the pandemic, we know the recovery has not been the same for every Delaware family,” DHSS Secretary Molly Magarik said in the release. “These emergency benefits are critical for families who recently lost work time to positive cases of COVID-19 or the flu, both of which are on the increase in our state.

“Still, we understand that as the recovery continues, the need for these emergency benefits will end, and we are preparing Delawareans for that eventuality. In the meantime, we are grateful to the federal government and Delaware’s congressional delegation for providing these crucial and necessary benefits again this month.”

The emergency benefits, according to the release, come as part of the state’s ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency response. The state estimates 57,093 households will receive SNAP emergency benefits in April with a total of $11.2 million being spent for the month.

SNAP recipients and two cash assistance programs, The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and General Assistance, will see emergency funding this week. Funding, according to the release, will be on electronic benefit cards on Thursday for SNAP and cash benefit checks will be received on or after Thursday.

According to the release, $95 in emergency food benefits will be issued to SNAP households who receive the maximum food benefit or a pro-rated initial benefit. Households with a calculated food benefit less than $95 will see the full $95 benefit.

TANF and General Assistance recipients will receive increments based on household size. A single household would receive $201, where a family of four will receive $407. A family of seven would receive $612.

For General Assistance, according to the release, a single household will receive $79, while a family of four would receive $169. The state estimates 180 households will receive $26,900 in benefits in April.

This article was originally posted on Emergency SNAP benefits to be issued this week in Delaware