This month everyone in Texas who receives benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will see a decrease in those benefits. Each of these 3.6 million households will receive at least $95.00 less than in the months prior. When the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, Congress made the decision to allow each household that receives SNAP benefits to receive the maximum amount of monthly assistance. This measure to allow for SNAP Emergency Allotments was intended to help those who were most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These SNAP Emergency Allotments were supposed to end at the same time as the COVID-19 pandemic health emergency which is still on-going. However, Congress passed the Omnibus Appropriations Bill in December of last year. This bill allowed for more money to be available for the Summer EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) program for low-income families with kids. To free-up more money for that program, the bill calls for an earlier end to the SNAP emergency allotments; it took effect on March 2. For households wishing to offset this reduction in benefits, it is recommended that they update their information as soon as possible about medical, housing, child or disabled adult care costs using the any one of the following resources: - Visit YourTexasBenefits.com, log into your account and find the case you want to make changes to. Select Details, then Open Change Report.
- Use the YourTexasBenefits mobile app (free on the Apple App or Google Play Store).
- Find your local HHSC benefits office, and report changes in person at your local HHSC benefits office.
- Call 2-1-1 and select option 2 to update your information.
For a list of deductions that you can request from HHSC please look at sections A-1420 through A-1429.4 of the Texas Works Handbook. Another useful resource for those impacted by this decision is Double Up Food Bucks. This program allows Texans to use their SNAP EBT Card to buy more fruits and vegetables. For every dollar you spend on produce at participating farmers’ markets, farm stands, mobile markets, and grocery stores with your EBT Card, Double Up Food Bucks will add another dollar for you to buy more. You can find participating locations at DoubleUpTexas.org. Find a nearby food bank by typing your zip code into Feeding Texas network website to find participating food banks in your city. The Central Texas Food Bank located at 6500 Metropolis Dr., Austin, TX 78744 is a great resource for Austin residents. Contact the Central Texas Food Bank at 512-282-2111. | 
