RICHMOND, Va. (WAVY) – The Virginia Department of Social Services announced Wednesday that emergency benefits will be made available to Virginia Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants during the months of March and April.
This action is as part of a provision set forth by the Families First Coronavirus Responses Act of 2020. The Virginia Department of Social Services will issue the emergency benefits to any household not already receiving the maximum benefits.
Emergency benefits will allow the household’s current monthly allotment to increase to the maximum allotment for a household of that size as follows:
- Household size : Amount of money for 48 states and Washington D.C.
- 1 : $194
- 2 : $355
- 3 : $509
- 4 : $646
- 5 : $768
- 6 : $921
- 7 : $1,018
- 8 : $1,164
- Each additional person : $146
“We must make sure that no Virginian goes hungry during this time of crisis,” said VDSS Commissioner S. Duke Storen.
Benefits for March will be released Wednesday evening and automatically load to recipients’ SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer cards.
SNAP households will receive their regular April benefits on their usual issuance date, with emergency benefits added on April 16.
Right now, more than 680,000 individuals receive SNAP benefits within the commonwealth. Officials say on average, the monthly SNAP benefit per participant is $119.
To apply for SNAP benefits individuals may apply online or by phone at (855) 635-4370.
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