CONNECTICUT, USA — About 10,000 people in Connecticut will be eligible for SNAP benefits this year, according to Gov. Ned Lamont.
The Lamont administration announced Tuesday that the decision in 2022 to increase the income eligibility for SNAP benefits will now allow for an additional 8,959 people in 4,980 homes in the state to benefit.
Under the revised eligibility, Connecticut residents qualify for SNAP if their monthly gross income is at, or below, 200% of the federal level, as in, $2,430 for a single person and $5,000 for a four-person household). Until October 2022, Connecticut's level was at 185%, while the federal government allowed up to 200%. Connecticut became one of around 15 states to take full advantage of that allowance.
Lamont said that the simple change brought new federal funding to help Connecticut families put food on the table and allow food stores to open in neighborhoods otherwise deemed as "food deserts."
“I hope residents across the state will take a second look at whether they can benefit from SNAP and thank the federal government for allowing actions like this that support our efforts to combat hunger and food insecurity," Lamont said.
Connecticut's SNAP program currently provides more than 229,000 homes with a monthly allowance for food buying. The program, formerly known as food stamps, is a federally-funded service to help combat food insecurity for working families, qualified adults, and disabled people.
SNAP enrollees are also automatically eligible for other federally funded services, which include the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program, head State, and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
“SNAP benefits are proven to improve overall health and nutrition, and families at this income level will benefit from this assistance," said Social Services Commissioner Andrew Barton Reeves. "These fully federally funded benefits also have a positive secondary effect by boosting local food economies around the state. We thank Governor Lamont for his support in ensuring that Connecticut families are healthy, secure, and thriving.”
For more information on SNAP benefits, head here.
Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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