The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has extended the emergency SNAP benefits for the month of February. However, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Friday that it would be the final extension of the emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits.

In a statement, the Office of the Texas Governor said Congress recently passed legislation to establish February 2023 as the last month eligible households can receive emergency SNAP benefits. The office noted that the allotments are expected to help around 1.6 million Texas households.

"The State of Texas has been able to help millions of families across our great state access the food they need to stay healthy," Abbott said. "We're proud to have provided billions of dollars in supplemental benefits so Texans could have healthy and nutritious food options to take care of their families and loved ones," he added.

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When Will the Emergency SNAP Benefits Arrive in Texas?

Greg Abbott said the Texas HHSC is providing more than $345.9 million in emergency SNAP benefits this month. HHSC Access and Eligibility Services Deputy Executive Commissioner Wayne Salter noted that the HHSC has already received federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to extend the maximum allowable amount of SNAP benefits to recipients based on family size. 

All SNAP beneficiaries will reportedly receive a minimum of $95 in emergency allotments which will appear in recipients' accounts by February 28. But because of the federal legislation passed by Congress, recipients will no longer receive additional benefits, and this benefit change can no longer be appealed. 

SNAP beneficiaries can find out how much their regular monthly benefit will be without the emergency allotment by logging into their account on YourTexasBenefits.com or the mobile app. SNAP households can also call 2-1-1, option 2. KXAN reported that households will receive a notice about the change before the emergency SNAP benefits end.

"We're thankful that we've been able to help millions of Texans by providing more than $9.7 billion in additional benefits since the Families First Coronavirus Response Act was passed," said Salter.

SNAP Benefits to be Reduced in Texas Starting March

With this, Texas families benefitting from SNAP will see a dramatic cut in their benefits by March. Some families will see a reduction of at least $95 a month, while others will see a cut of more than $400 a month.

According to KXAN, this is all because of the Omnibus Appropriations Spending Bill passed by Congress late last year, which ends the temporary increase in allotment this month.

Feeding Texas Director of Policy and Advocacy Jamie Olson told KXAN that beneficiaries will have their SNAP benefits decreased back to their original amount, which is calculated based on their income, expenses, and the number of people in their family.

For example, the Texas HHSC told the outlet that a family of four's maximum monthly benefit is $939. If their regular monthly allotment is $500, they should receive $939 per month with the supplement.

However, starting in March, their regular monthly benefit will go back to $500. A family or an individual qualifies for SNAP benefits based on asset and income levels.

A recipient must also be employed or actively looking for work to qualify for the SNAP benefits. An individual's maximum monthly income to receive the benefits in Texas is $1,869, and for a family of four is $3,816. 

Although the emergency SNAP benefits will soon end, Olson noted that the same Omnibus Appropriations Spending Bill also establishes a permanent, nationwide Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) grocery card program that will give the families of eligible kids an extra $40 per month per child for food, helping make up for the school meals that children miss during summer break.

READ MORE: SNAP Benefits 2022: Will There Be EBT Payments for Texas, Florida Residents in September [Updates, Schedule] 

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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