Sunday, April 2, 2023

SNAP benefits will be released early. Here’s why

(WYDaily file photo/Courtesy of Pixabay)
(WYDaily file photo/Courtesy of Pixabay)

For the month of March only, all Virginia Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) clients will receive benefits on March 1, according to the Virginia Department of Social Services.

SNAP will suspend its usual staggered issuance and release benefits to all recipients, including individuals who typically receive benefits between the 4th and 7th of each month.

Benefits will be automatically loaded to recipients’ SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer or EBT cards.

“This change is intended to help close the gap for clients who have been stretching benefits since mid-January as a result of the early release of February benefits during the partial federal government shutdown,” said Virginia Department of Social Services Director of Benefit Programs Toni Blue Washington. “We understand the challenges individuals and families have been facing, and want to
ensure Virginians who rely on SNAP benefits are provided some relief.”

SNAP recipients with questions related to their benefits are encouraged to contact the Enterprise Customer Service Center at 855-635-4370 or their local department of social services.

For additional resources, recipients may call 211 or visit www.211virginia.org.

The SNAP program will resume its normal staggered issuance benefits schedule in April, according to the Virginia Department of Social Services.

John Mangalonzo
John Mangalonzohttp://wydaily.com
John Mangalonzo (john@localdailymedia.com) is the managing editor of Local Voice Media’s Virginia papers – WYDaily (Williamsburg), Southside Daily (Virginia Beach) and HNNDaily (Hampton-Newport News). Before coming to Local Voice, John was the senior content editor of The Bellingham Herald, a McClatchy newspaper in Washington state. Previously, he served as city editor/content strategist for USA Today Network newsrooms in St. George and Cedar City, Utah. John started his professional journalism career shortly after graduating from Lyceum of The Philippines University in 1990. As a rookie reporter for a national newspaper in Manila that year, John was assigned to cover four of the most dangerous cities in Metro Manila. Later that year, John was transferred to cover the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines. He spent the latter part of 1990 to early 1992 embedded with troopers in the southern Philippines as they fought with communist rebels and Muslim extremists. His U.S. journalism career includes reporting and editing stints for newspapers and other media outlets in New York City, California, Texas, Iowa, Utah, Colorado and Washington state.

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