In recent years, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has been a lifeline for many families. It gives low-income households food rewards that they may use to buy fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy products, and other necessities.

During the pandemic, the federal government granted states the authority to provide additional payments in the form of emergency SNAP allocations. This means that each qualified household can get the maximum monthly payment, which is presently $939 in most states for a family of four. Families that currently get the maximum amount will receive an additional $95.

With Christmas approaching, that extra cash might make a significant difference in recipient households' bank accounts. While more than 35 states issued emergency payments in November, just 13 have confirmed further payments for December.

States to Pay SNAP Benefits in December

According to the USDA, the following states will continue to receive emergency food assistance through December 20, 2022:

• Hawaii

• Illinois

• Maine

• Maryland

• New Hampshire

• New Jersey

• New Mexico

• Oklahoma

• Oregon

• Vermont

• Virginia

• West Virginia

• Wisconsin

Because Thanksgiving may have pushed out a few announcements, a few more states may still pay emergency allotments in December. This list was up to date as of November 28, according to The Ascent via MSN.

Because the federal government has granted these emergency benefits for December, Oregon will be allowed to provide them in January 2023 as well. The emergency benefits, however, are set to expire when the federal public health emergency expires.

In December, 426,000 SNAP households will receive an additional $70 million in food assistance on top of their regular SNAP payments.

On December 13, current SNAP families will get emergency allotments. Emergency allotments will be distributed on December 30 or January 4, 2023 to households who did not receive benefits in the first monthly distribution. SNAP benefits recipients will get these supplementary payments straight on their EBT cards and will not need to take any action, as per KTVZ.

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Will SNAP Benefits Continue in 2023?

Fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, and fish, dairy goods, breads and cereals, snack foods and non-alcoholic drinks, and seeds and plants that generate food for the home can all be purchased with SNAP benefits. There are concerns that the outcome of the 2022 midterm elections may result in the reduction of programs such as SNAP, given that Congress is divided and Republicans control the House.

As per commentators such as Karen Dolan, Director of the Institute for Policy Studies' Criminalization of Poverty Project, the GOP might strive to decrease accessibility by implementing stricter job requirement.

The Farm Bill, which governs many areas of food production, such as agricultural sustainability standards, crop insurance, and the types of foods farmed, also includes access to food for low-income households. It's up for renewal in 2023, so it'll be interesting to see how SNAP evolves. It's up for renewal in 2023, so it'll be interesting to see how SNAP evolves, Marca reported. 

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