Food stamps now available for families who get free school meals in these states

Food stamp benefits have been expanded in several states so families who get free or reduced school lunches now qualify.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act allows the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits under the Food and Nutrition Act, according to a news release. Kids who get free or reduced school meals — if schools weren’t closed — are now eligible for food stamps.

Texas got the approval on Monday to expand SNAP benefits, Sen. John Cornyn said in a statement.

States can submit plans for approval if a school is closed for at least five days in a row, according to the release.

These states have already been approved to distribute emergency SNAP benefits: Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The Department of Agriculture has already announced an expansion of SNAP benefits, The Sacramento Bee reported.

For households with two adults and three children with no income, the maximum benefit is $768 but can be $528 due to “reportable income and other factors,” the release said. The new benefits would give households an extra $240 in food stamps, according to The Bee.

This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 4:53 PM with the headline "Food stamps now available for families who get free school meals in these states."