SALEM, Ore. (KOIN) — The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) announced Thursday that the majority of people receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will continue to get increased emergency food benefits next month.
According to ODHS, around 422,000 SNAP households will receive close to $68 million in extra food benefits, in addition to their regular SNAP benefits. The emergency benefits are temporary support due to the public health emergency caused by the pandemic.
The federal government has approved emergency allotments every month since March of 2020. ODHS says that the state will also be able to issue extra allotments in August, but that the emergency benefits are expected to end when the public health emergency concludes.
“We know that many rely on these additional emergency food benefits to get enough healthy food for themselves and their families,” said Claire Seguin, deputy director of the ODHS self-sufficiency programs. “We also know that many Oregonians are still struggling to meet their basic needs and we encourage them to contact our partners at 211 and the Oregon Food Bank for support during this difficult time.”
ODHS says that current SNAP households will receive emergency allotments on July 12 and that allotments will be issued on July 29 or Aug. 2 for households who did not receive benefits in the first monthly issuance.
The supplemental benefits will be issued directly to the EBT card of SNAP recipients.