WASHINGTON, July 29, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) today
released its June 2020 Cost of Foods Report, announcing a more than 5% increase in the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan from last year. This increase is more than double the 20-year annual average increase of around 2%. Based on this new update, beginning October
1, 2020, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants’ maximum monthly benefit allotment will be at the highest level in the history of the program.
“The Thrifty Food Plan is designed to adjust to changing economic conditions and support Americans during tough times,” said FNS Administrator Pam Miller. “This adjustment will not only help SNAP
participants during this unprecedented crisis but will also support the American farmers, ranchers, fishers, and producers who are working hard throughout this pandemic to keep our grocery stores stocked with nutritious, domestic products.”
Background
The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, which governs SNAP, requires that the average cost of foods in the marketplace be used to adjust the maximum SNAP benefit allotments from year-to-year. The
food costs reported in June of a given fiscal year are used to calculate the SNAP maximum allotments for the next fiscal year (October through September).
The new maximum benefit – or allotment – for a household of four will be $680, an approximate 5.3% increase over the current maximum allotment of $646. Current SNAP recipients may see an increase
in benefits beginning in October, if there are no changes in their household circumstances.
This adjustment in SNAP benefits complements the many actions USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service has taken to date to help American families put food on the table during the coronavirus pandemic.
Other measures include:
-
Allowing states to issue emergency
supplemental SNAP benefits totaling more than $2 billion per month, increasing SNAP benefits by
40%;
-
Expanding the online
purchasing pilot to 47 states, covering more than 90% of all SNAP households;
-
Waiving certain administrative requirements to make it easier for states to serve their SNAP clients during the pandemic;
-
Implementing Pandemic
EBT, which is providing benefits similar to SNAP to 99% of children normally receiving free or reduced-price school meals;
-
Debuting the “Meals
for Kids” interactive site finder to help families find free meals for children at more than 77,000 locations while schools are closed;
-
Supporting
food banks with over $6 billion worth of food and administrative resources;
-
Providing a $50
million boost in food assistance through the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations; and
-
Supporting the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s Farmers
to Families Food Box program, which is delivering American-grown and produced foods to low income households.
To learn more about FNS’s response to COVID-19, visit www.fns.usda.gov/coronavirus and
follow us on Twitter at @USDANutrition.
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.
Additional Resources:
