A SNAP benefits update in Texas had been announced, with Governor Greg Abbott saying that the state's Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) will be providing more than $329.4 million in emergency allotments for the month of October.

In a press release, Abbott noted that millions of Texans will be able to have healthier lives with access to nutritious food through the SNAP benefits payments and emergency allotments.

Texas HHSC Access and Eligibility Services Deputy Executive Commissioner Wayne Salter said the agency is proud to continue helping Texans who need a helping hand put food on their table.

The emergency allotments this month will be distributed on top of the more than $8.2 billion in benefits that have been provided to Texans since April 2020.

Aside from Texas, other states have also extended their emergency allotments for the month of October, such as Illinois, Hawaii, New Mexico, and Oregon, among others, according to The Motley Fool.  The minimum emergency allotment for states that extended it this month is an additional $95 per household in minimum.

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SNAP Benefits Update in October 2022

Aside from emergency allotments, SNAP benefits recipients can also expect an increase in the amount of their expected benefits for the month of October. The increase was due to the changes in cost-of-living adjustment because of the rising inflation, which resulted in a higher price of goods.

Food Stamps Now reported that inflation greatly impacted low-income families who rely on monthly food assistance to get by. Urban Institute survey found that food insecurity has grown back to peak-pandemic levels, with about one in five adults reporting experiencing food insecurity.

The maximum allotment for SNAP benefits is directly connected to food inflation. A 12.5% increase in SNAP benefits should be reflected by October 1, 2022.

SNAP Benefits Texas

SNAP benefits are distributed monthly in Texas through the Texas Lone Star Cards, the state's version of Electronic Benefits Transfer cards. The schedule of distribution of SNAP benefits for October 2022 is broken down into two scheduling schemes.

According to Yahoo Finance, SNAP households certified before June 1, 2020, will receive their benefits over the first 15 days of the month based on the last digit in the recipients' EDG number.

Meanwhile, those SNAP households certified after June 1, 2020, will have their SNAP benefits issued between the 16th and 28th day of the month based on the last digits of the EDG number.

In September, SNAP benefits recipients in Texas reported experiencing a backlog regarding receiving their SNAP benefits payments. Texas HHSC noted that an increase in applications and staffing shortages have made the backlog even more challenging, KXAN reported. 

State workers told the media outlet they were working "diligently to get these applications processed ASAP." The agency had committed to increasing capacity and retaining staff so that the applications could be processed as quickly as possible.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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