Cherokee Nation
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- Website: Summer EBT Program
- Hotline: 539-234-3265 or 800-256-0671 ext. 5275
- Email: wicsebtc@cherokee.org
Looking for information about SNAP benefits?
SNAP Toll-free Information Number: 1-800-221-5689
You can also call your state for your case information or use ASK USDA for general questions about SNAP.
Washington, DC, October 1, 2020 – The previously announced 5.3% cost of living increase to the maximum benefit amounts for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) takes effect today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminded. As a result, SNAP households will likely see an increase in their benefits starting this month.
Nearly all states have opted to automatically provide all SNAP households the maximum benefit for their household size under legislation passed in response to the pandemic. Therefore, with the increased maximum benefit amounts, a typical household of four will receive $680 a month, up from their previous amount of $646 per month, in addition to any benefits they receive from other nutrition assistance programs.
“The higher maximum monthly benefits will help ensure SNAP participants continue to have access to nutritious food during these unprecedented times,” said USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service Administrator Pam Miller. “These individuals and families are also eligible for other FNS programs that are helping to meet an increased need.”
The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 mandates that maximum SNAP benefit allotments for each fiscal year (October through September) be adjusted to reflect the average cost of the Thrifty Food Plan in the proceeding June. The June 2020 Cost of Food Report revealed a 5.3% increase in the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan from last year, which is more than double the 20-year annual average increase of 2%, accounting for the rise in food costs.
The FY 2021 maximum SNAP allotments for the District of Columbia and all states other than Alaska and Hawaii are as follows:
Household Size | Maximum Monthly Allotment |
1 | $204 |
2 | $374 |
3 | $535 |
4 | $680 |
5 | $807 |
6 | $969 |
7 | $1,071 |
8 | $1,224 |
Each additional person | $153 |
Maximum SNAP allotments are different for Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, and the U.S. Virgin Islands; those amounts can be found here.
Currently, as authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, nearly all states are also providing SNAP households with emergency allotments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These supplements bring benefit amounts for all SNAP households up to the maximum allotment for their household size, which will be higher beginning today.
SNAP households are also eligible for other USDA programs to help fulfill their nutrition needs. For example, SNAP participants may be able to receive:
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service administers 15 nutrition assistance programs that leverage American’s agricultural abundance to ensure children and low-income individuals and families have nutritious food to eat. FNS also co-develops the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which provide science-based nutrition recommendations and serve as the cornerstone of federal nutrition policy. Follow us on Twitter at @USDANutrition.
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