It is now widely known that it is forty-two million Americans who receive SNAP benefits, still also known as food stamps. They remain at the mercy of a government, which has remained shut down for thirty-seven days at the time of writing, and shows no sign of opening any time soon.
The government’s original stance was to declare that there was no funding for beneficiaries in November. They since found enough money in the back of the sofa to announce that they could provide half the benefits for those who already receive them, but no new applications could be taken, and there was no timeline for when recipients could expect to receive their allocation. On Wednesday, November 5, they back-tracked further, and said they could fund 65% of benefits. Again, by making those changes there is no way to be sure when the funds will be re-calculated and administered.
Yesterday a federal judge ordered the administration to restore full funding by today. The US Department of Agriculture, which runs the program, immediately appealed the decision. That act leaves those millions of beneficiaries with nothing, and no hope for anything soon.
For Marylanders who receive SNAP there is some good news thanks to the announcement by Governor Wes Moore, that the state will tap into its Fiscal Responsibility Fund and will release $62 million to cover the shortfall caused by the federal government. The state has already allocated $10 million to go towards food security partners.
It was also announced that the state will continue to take new applications which can be submitted at Maryland Benefits Programs & Services Portal
If you need food bank services, you can go to 211 Maryland | MD Health And Human Services | Get Help