Hampton Woman Worried as Emergency SNAP Benefits Come to an End on March 31
Nearly half a million low-income families will lose the extra money that was helping them buy groceries, as emergency SNAP benefits are set to end on March 31.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, more commonly known as SNAP, will still be available to those in need but without the added boost in payment given during the pandemic.
This news has left many families, including Lynn Warnes from Hampton, worried about how they will cope.
Warnes barely gets by month-to-month, and with inflation impacting everything, especially grocery prices, she doesn’t know how much further she can stretch her budget.
The pandemic-era boost of funds for low-income households to buy groceries is ending this month, which means people like Warnes who rely on SNAP benefits will see $95 less each month.
For Warnes, this is a “slap in the face” because everything has gone up in price.
Food prices are not Warnes’ only concern, as the ending of SNAP benefits will force her and millions of others into possible hard situations.
This could mean taking food out of their cart or relying more on local food pantries.
Warnes is worried because she is living off a disability check of $1000 a month, which doesn’t go very far.
She fears that the ending of SNAP benefits will destroy her financially.
The program, which started in the early days of the pandemic, has kept an estimated 4.2 million Americans out of poverty, according to the food and nutrition service.
Some households may no longer even receive SNAP benefits due to the Social Security increase if they are no longer income eligible.
This news is a tough situation for those in need, and Warnes is looking for solutions in Hampton.
In addition to the SNAP benefits ending, state leaders have announced that continuous health coverage through Medicaid will also end this month.
Starting April 1st, the department of medical assistance services will begin conducting eligibility determinations, and those using Medicaid will have to reapply on a yearly basis.
If you’re using Medicaid, you can visit commonhelp.virginia.gov for more information when the time comes to reapply.
The combination of these two programs ending is making it challenging for those in need to make ends meet.
