USDA is committed to providing nutrition assistance to hard-hit families across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. In support of President Biden’s call to action on hunger, USDA announced that it is increasing the Pandemic EBT benefit by approximately 15 percent, providing more money for low-income families and millions of children missing meals due to school and child care closures.
USDA has issued guidance to states in implementing FFCRA of 2020 which provides for the issuance of emergency allotments based on a public health emergency declaration by the Secretary of HHS under the Public Health Service Act related to an outbreak of COVID-19 when a state has also issued an emergency or disaster declaration.
FNS is providing a comprehensive list of SNAP resource materials and policy memos to equip state agencies with key information to prepare for the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
To help SNAP state agencies prepare for the lifting of the COVID-19 federal public health emergency (PHE) declaration on May 11, 2023, FNS is sharing the enclosed table summarizing the timelines for ending PHE flexibilities. These flexibilities include waivers of SNAP regulations, adjustments of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, temporary changes to eligibility criteria for ABAWDs and students, and the issuance of EAs during the PHE.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 increases SNAP benefits by raising maximum allotments to 115 percent of the June 2020 value of the Thrifty Food Plan. This memorandum provides the revised maximum SNAP allotment amounts by household size for the 48 states and D.C., Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Virgin Islands.
Due to the exceptional circumstances of this public health emergency, USDA is establishing a nationwide waiver to support access to nutritious meals while minimizing potential exposure to the novel coronavirus. This waiver applies to the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program.
This policy memorandum provides further guidance on the WIC programmatic waivers as authorized under the Continuing Appropriations Act 2021 and Other Extensions Act in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
This document provides information to states to assist in the development of state plans to operate Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) for school children during school year 2020-21.
The Continuing Appropriations Act 2021 and Other Extensions Act extends Pandemic EBT through the end of September 2021. That means that P-EBT is now available for all of school year 2020-2021.
This memorandum includes questions and answers intended to provide clarification to state agencies and program operators as they continue to operate the NSLP, School Breakfast Program, NSLP Seamless Summer Option, SFSP and CACFP during the school year.