In the U.S., millions of people buy food through a program administered by the USDA called SNAP and they use their EBT card. People who receive this benefit get money and they use it to buy food at supermarkets or authorized markets. The USDA has announced that, during November, SNAP beneficiaries will only receive 50% of their usual benefits. So, let’s find out more about why this is happening.
Emergency funds
The reason is that the government is using an emergency reserve, which is used to cover 50% of what it would usually be sent. The government confirmed this decision in a federal court filing, which also explained that full guidance about how and when the money will be distributed has not yet been released, but more information is expected by the end of the day, according to The New York Times.
According to official information, the funds will cover “50% of eligible households’ current allotments.” The government also pointed out that it is required to use the money of the emergency reserve so that every state can calculate the benefits for each family or person receiving the SNAP.
However, the additional funds won’t be used to cover the entire payments of this month’s benefits, there will not be a later payment to increase the benefits back to 100% of what people usually receive.
Deadlines
The decision is related to the court order that indicated the government must send entire or partial payments in the first week of November since the government is in its second month of shutdown.
The deadline for the federal government to send the money to states was November 5, which allowed people to have money on their EBT cards by that date. If the government had decided to send 100% of the benefits using the reserve, it would have had to do it before November 3 (of course, that wasn’t the case).
How to check your EBT card money
People receiving SNAP can check if their money is available in their EBT cards in different ways:
- By calling the toll-free customer service number on the back of the EBT card.
- By using a mobile app, such as Propel, or the official state EBT apps called ebtEDGE or ConnectEBT.
- By checking online through the official EBT website or portal for their state using a phone or computer.
To log in and view the balance, people usually need:
- EBT card number
- PIN or password
- Date of birth
- Basic personal information
SNAP and food
The SNAP helps more than 41 million people in the U.S. every month because the program is designed to support low income families so that they can buy basic foods. So, with this benefit people can buy: Fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, milk, dairy products, bread, cereals, and snacks.
Therefore, what SNAP beneficiaries can’t buy with that money is: alcohol, cigarettes, hor prepared foods, and non-food items.
Government shutdown
The federal government has been shut since October 1 because political parties haven’t reached an agreement to fund the government. Due to this, many programs are working with limited funds, like SNAP. What’s more, hundreds of thousands of federal workers are not receiving their salaries or have been temporarily sent home.
No matter what, SNAP remains an essential program for helping people access healthy and necessary food, and knowing how to manage the benefits available can make a difference in planning meals and budgets.
While the current situation may cause uncertainty, staying informed provides clarity and helps individuals and families navigate the month ahead with greater confidence. So, you’d better go to the SSA official website to look for any doubt you may have.