Policy Memo (79.51 KB)
| DATE: | August 30, 2013 |
| SUBJECT: | SNAP- Fiscal Year 2014 Cost-of-Living Adjustments and ARRA Sunset Department of Impacts on Maximum Allotments for Alaska and Hawaii |
| TO: | All Regional Directors Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program |
This memorandum is a follow-up to the Food and Nutrition Service's (FNS) memorandum dated Aug. 1, 2013, announcing the Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Sunset (ARRA Sunset) Impact on Allotments. Because Hawaii and Alaska have distinct maximum allotments, these are announced separately from those affecting the other 48 state agencies. Attached are the fiscal year (FY) 2014 maximum allotments for Hawaii and Alaska.
Pursuant to the Food and Nutrition Act, each year FNS announces Cost of Living Adjustments; these adjustments must be implemented at the beginning of each FY. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provided that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allotments be the higher of either (a) the June 2008 Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) plus 13.6 percent or (b) the latest June TFP.
The higher benefit amount provided by ARRA expires on October 31, 2013. All states are impacted by the ARRA sunset and all States must adjust all household SNAP allotments twice this year: once on Oct. 1, 2013, for the COLAs and again on Nov. 1, 2013, due to the ARRA sunset. Because these are statutory provisions, they cannot be waived or consolidated into one effective date. Note: Hawaii is the only state that will not reduce allotments on Nov. 1, 2013, because their regularly calculated maximum allotments exceed those provided by ARRA.
Regional Offices should ensure that their states are appraised of these changes and are aware of the impact that the Nov. 1, 2013, reduction in allotments will have on their SNAP households. Regional offices should also remind their states of the budgeting and shopping strategies, meal planning ideas, and nutrition advice available to SNAP households through SNAP-Ed, USDA's 10-Tips Nutrition Series, the My Plate symbol, and the resources at ChooseMyPlate.gov.
State agencies with questions regarding these adjustments should contact their respective regional office representatives.
Lizabeth Silbermann
Director
Program Development Division