Millions of Americans Approved for Food Stamps due to Coronavirus

Last updated on 3/31/20

As you may be aware, Trump signs the historic $2 trillion stimulus bill after Congress passes it on March 27. The legislation stands as the largest emergency aid package in US history. The bill provides over $100 billion to expanded existing aid programs, including the expansions of Medicaid and food stamps. In this post, we will explain the disaster food stamps process (DSNAP) and how you can get emergency food stamps due to Coronavirus in your state.

We will also provide an update on additional benefits existing food stamps recipients are going to receive, including rules around the automatic renewal of benefits during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Finally, we will provide a link to your state’s Coronavirus help and resources, where you can find information about what your state is doing to help those in need during the COVID-19 outbreak.

This post will cover:

How Coronavirus affects Food Stamps

Free Lunch for Kids
Addition funding for WIC
Disaster/Emergency Food Stamps

How Disaster Food Stamps (DSNAP) Works
How to Apply for Emergency food stamps due to Coronavirus (by state)
FAQs

Free Lunch for Kids

As a result of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, children who would receive free or reduced-price meals if not for school closures are still eligible to receive assistance under this provision.

Many local school districts have rolled out plans for meal pick up stations for free lunch for kids. Check with your school district for more information.

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act provided the WIC Program with $500 million to remain available through September 30, 2021 for increases in program participation.

In addition, due to the Coronavirus safety rules, participants and applicants for WIC do not have to physically come into a WIC clinic to enroll or re-enroll, including the ability to defer certain requirements used to determine nutritional risk.

Furthermore, WIC program participants do not have to physically come into the WIC clinic to pick up WIC EBT cards and/or paper coupons.

This ensures participants have what they need to receive continued nutrition assistance during the coronavirus pandemic.

Check with your local county WIC office for more information.

How Coronavirus affects Food Stamps

As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the federal agency in charge of the SNAP (food stamps) program has made the following adjustments to the program to provide benefits to those in need.

Increase in Food Stamps Benefits

USDA will be granting waivers to states to provide them more flexibility with their food stamps program so current food stamps recipients get more help.

This includes allowing states to issue additional food stamps benefits to existing recipients.

This will be based on a public health emergency declaration by the Secretary of Health and Human Services when a state has also issued an emergency or disaster declaration.

Extended Certification Periods

The USDA will give states the flexibility to adjust deadlines for participants to re-enroll (i.e., “recertify”) to continue receiving SNAP benefits.

Adjustments to Interview Requirements

In addition, the USDA is allowing state food stamps agencies to adjust interview requirements, provided an applicant’s identity has been verified and other mandatory verifications are made.

This allows states to conduct telephone interviews instead of face-to face-interviews

Time limit for Able-bodied Adults without Dependents (ABAWD)

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which was signed by President Trump on March 18, 2020, temporarily and partially suspends the time limit for ABAWD participation in SNAP.

In general, ABAWDs can only get food stamps for no more than 3 months over any 3-year period unless they:

Work; OR
Participate in a work program at least 20 hours a week; OR
They participate in a workfare program, or;

Are otherwise exempt.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act suspends the time limit for ABAWDs, except in certain circumstances.

Disaster/Emergency Food Stamps

As states before, the $2 Trillion stimulus legislation just passed by Congress and signed by the President provides over $100 billion to expanded existing aid programs, including the expansions of the food stamps program.

If you do not currently receive food stamps benefits and have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, you may be eligible for disaster food stamps. Here’s how it works.

How Disaster Food Stamps Works

If you’ve been unable to work due to the coronavirus and are struggling to buy food, you may be eligible for Disaster Food Stamps or D-SNAP.

However, it is important to understand how the program works:

Step 1

The first step is to find out if your state has received a Presidential disaster declaration of individual assistance (IA) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

This allows for emergency food assistance in disaster areas. If FEMA has announced a Major Disaster Declaration for your state, then your state is eligible to offer the following assistance to individuals and households, including:

Disaster Food Stamps or D-SNAP
Individuals and Households Program
Crisis Counseling Program

Disaster Case Management
Disaster Unemployment Assistance
Disaster Legal Services

To find out if FEMA has a Major Disaster Declaration your area/state, click here.

As of March 29, 2020, President Trump has announced Major Disaster Declarations for the following states due to the Coronavirus pandemic:

Step 2

Once the states receive approval to operate the D-SNAP program in the affected disaster area, information is then sent out to media outlets, listing program eligibility guidelines and application process, including how to apply online.

Step 3

The application process is simplified for D-SNAP and benefits are issued to eligible applicants within 72 hours.

Scroll down below and locate your state to see what your state is doing to expand food stamps during the coronavirus pandemic and how to apply for Emergency food stamps.

What if my state is not on the Disaster Declaration List?

If your state has not yet received Major Disaster Declarations by President Trump but you are still impacted by the coronavirus and need food assistance, there is still help.

Most states have relaxed rules around food stamps due to coronavirus.

In addition, as mentioned above, the stimulus bill sets aside $100 billion dollars to expand the food stamps program to help provide food assistance during the pandemic.

Scroll down below and locate your state to see what your state is doing to expand food stamps during the coronavirus pandemic and how to apply for Emergency food stamps.

How to Apply for Emergency food stamps due to Coronavirus (by state)

Scroll down to locate your state below to find out the current update on emergency food stamps requirements, increases to food stamps benefits for existing food stamps recipients, and how you can apply for emergency food stamps.

We have also added a link to each state’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) update and resources.

Emergency food stamps due to Coronavirus Summary

We hope this post on emergency food stamps due to Coronavirus was helpful to you.

If you have additional questions or need help applying for emergency food stamps or want to learn more about what your state is doing regarding additional food assistance, leave those in the comments section below.

Check out some of our most popular articles, including States with the most people on food stamps, how you can save more with your EBT Card or How to get 50% OFF Amazon Prime for EBT Cardholders.

Kwame Kuadey

Kwame Kuadey writes about personal finance and the social safety net. His career started in banking but he caught the entrepreneurial bug and has spent the last decade building successful businesses, including an Inc. 500 Company. Kwame believes everyone has the power to improve their quality of life by seeking knowledge and taking action. In 2012, Kwame founded Empower Media to help low-income households improve their financial situation. His expertise is in topics relevant to low-income households, including government benefits and assistance, banking products, access to credit, plus tools & resources to help reduce income volatility and build wealth. Kwame has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc. Magazine, Washington Post, ABC, and NPR.

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Free Lunch for Kids

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

How Coronavirus affects Food Stamps

Increase in Food Stamps Benefits

Extended Certification Periods

Adjustments to Interview Requirements

Time limit for Able-bodied Adults without Dependents (ABAWD)

Disaster/Emergency Food Stamps

How Disaster Food Stamps Works

What if my state is not on the Disaster Declaration List?

How to Apply for Emergency food stamps due to Coronavirus (by state)

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Emergency food stamps due to Coronavirus Summary

Kwame Kuadey

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