FNS Documents & Resources

FNS expects virtual Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program operations may be needed through the remainder of FY 2021 and 2022. FNS will continue to review requests to use virtual operations on a case-by-case basis when a state submits a D-SNAP waiver request. States are encouraged to use the attached best practices for any future virtual D-SNAPs.

In response to the President’s Executive Order on Economic Relief Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic issued on Jan. 22, 2021, which directed all federal agencies to consider administrative actions to better address the current economic crisis resulting from the pandemic, USDA reviewed and updated the SNAP EA guidance.

FNS is allowing states flexibility regarding fair hearing timeframes. As needed, state agencies may extend the fair hearings process up to 120 days from receipt of the request for fair hearings that were already in process or for which requests are received from March 1 through May 31, 2020.

This memo provides information on how states can request certain SNAP COVID-19 administrative flexibilities beginning May 2021, including information pertaining to certain options allowed under the Continuing Appropriations Act 2021.

On April 30, 2021, FNS issued a memo that SNAP Quality Control will resume nationwide starting July 2021, with special QC review procedures related to COVID-related adjustments, and provides state agencies with a blanket waiver regarding the QC face-to-face interview.

In an effort to make the distribution of P-EBT benefits to eligible children as efficient as possible, USDA has developed a simple P-EBT summer plan template. The template allows states to elect a USDA-determined standard benefit that relieves states of the burden of determining their own benefit levels based on state-specific school district calendars.

FNS will allow state agencies to suspend SNAP regulations by allowing flexibility in the time frame for establishing or disposing of new claims as well as by not requiring collection of active recoupment of SNAP overpayments, delaying collection on newly established overpayments, and not considering any payments delayed due to this suspension to be delinquent.

This memorandum supersedes the March 20, 2020, and April 21, 2020 guidance, and conveys a policy change that advances the goals of the Executive Order and the President’s call to reevaluate emergency allotment policy. Under this new policy, households who had not been receiving EA payments and those whose EA payments were less than $95 per month will receive increased benefits.

FNS intends to issue updated SNAP – Emergency Allotments guidance to provide benefits to certain eligible households, including those receiving SNAP benefits at the statutory maximum, that were previously deemed ineligible for emergency allotments by USDA.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 extends the temporary increase to SNAP benefit, allocates new administrative funding, and provides support for SNAP online purchasing. This document provides a summary of the SNAP provisions and other provisions that affect SNAP.