Food Stamps Will Be Raised in October

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How will SNAP benefits increase in October 2023?

Maximum SNAP benefits for 2024 will increase by 3.5 to 3.8%. These are the maximum amounts that will be awarded in the 48 contiguous United States, including the District of Columbia, effective October 1 of this year.

  • 1 household member: $291

  • 2 members: $535

  • 3 members: $766

  • 4 members: $973

  • 5 members: $1,155

  • 6 members: $1,386

  • 7 members: $1,532

  • 8 members: $1,1751

  • Additional member: +$219

Are SNAP benefits enough?

A monthly payment of $973 for a family of four equals about $8 per person per day. While SNAP benefits are not designed to cover everything, it is not easy to feed a family on about $2.66 per person per meal.

BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) data also show that food at home increased 5.7% year over year. The new SNAP benefits do not match this. Hypothetically, an increase in benefits for a family of four would mean a new monthly payment of $992, instead of the projected $973.

In addition, this year marked the end of pandemic-era emergency food benefits nationwide. According to CBPP estimates, this meant that the average person received about $90 a month less in SNAP benefits. Even accounting for the increased amount, many households have experienced a significant drop in their food benefit amount, and the revised 2024 payments will do little to close this gap.

Source https://otium.tododisca.com/en/money/snap-payments-increase-october-2023-cola/