![]() Virgin Islands, provided EAs to SNAP participants through March 2023, the full period of time authorized by Congress. T hirty two states, as well as the District of Columbia, Guam, and the U.S. Subsequently, another 11 states stopped early. That made Florida one of the first 7 states in the country to stop providing residents extra SNAP through federally funded EAs. When Florida’s emergency declaration for the pandemic expired in June 2021, the state lost its ability to provide EAs for any month after July 2021. This is because one of the few prerequisites that Congress placed on states opting to provide EAs to SNAP participants was that there be both a federal and state-declared PHE in place. Florida Stopped Providing EAs Early Despite the Economic Boon They Providedįlorida stopped providing EAs earlier than most other states. ![]() Florida - and SNAP participants living in the state - fared worse than most: Florida stopped providing emergency allotments (EAs) in August 2021 rather than March 2023, at a significant loss to Florida’s economy and to people participating in the program. However, due to SNAP’s multiplier effect, the impact of extra benefits was even greater than $3 billion: every $1 in SNAP during an economic downturn generates at least $1.54 in economic activity, which puts the impact of EAs distributed in the Sunshine State at $4.6 billion. EAs Provided Over $3 Billion in Grocery Assistance to Floridians Struggling During the Pandemicįlorida issued over $3 billion in federally funded EAs to SNAP participants in amounts ranging from $149 million to $287 million every month from March 2020 to July 2021, the last month that Florida distributed EAs to its residents. In addition, EAs were effective at keeping people out of poverty during the economic fallout of the pandemic. EAs allowed states not only to increase assistance to SNAP participants who were facing food insecurity due to the high cost of groceries but also to provide an economic stimulus for local communities reeling from COVID-19-related setbacks. SNAP provides monthly grocery benefits to households with low-income to help them purchase food for themselves and their families. EAs Lessened Hunger and Poverty and Helped the Economy ReboundĮAs were additional SNAP benefits paid for by the federal government and authorized by Congress on a temporary basis during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) from March 2020 through February 2023. Over time, the state’s early exit from EAs cost the state and SNAP participants as much as $5 billion or more in federal assistance. ![]() After EAs ended, each SNAP participant experienced, on average, a decrease of $90 per month in their SNAP allotment.įlorida - and SNAP participants living in the state - fared worse than most: Florida stopped providing EAs in August 2021 rather than March 2023, at a significant loss to Florida’s economy and to people participating in the program. EAs had gone a long way to help channel money into local economies quickly and ensure that people faced with skyrocketing grocery prices could put food on the table during the COVID-19 pandemic. ![]() Many Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants across the country faced a hunger cliff in March 2023 after Congress stopped providing extra SNAP benefits (called Emergency Allotments or EAs).
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