Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue Wednesday announced emergency benefit increases have reached $2.0 billion per month for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The benefits represent a 40 percent increase in overall monthly SNAP benefits, significantly increasing food purchasing power for American families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Currently, a household with two adults, three children, and no income can receive the maximum benefit of $768.
However, due to reportable income and other factors, the average five-person household receives significantly less, $528.
These emergency benefits would provide the average five-person household an additional $240 monthly in food purchasing power, bringing the average household up to the same benefit level as households already receiving the maximum.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act provided for the issuance of emergency allotments in response to COVID-19.
Across the United States, emergency allotments total nearly $2 billion per month, which is in addition to approximately $4.5 billion in benefits already provided to SNAP households each month.
