Giacomi said that SNAP allotments to recipients are the same across the 48 contiguous states, and the state does not have control over them. The US Department of Agriculture bases SNAP benefits off of its “Thrifty Food Plan,” which their website defines as the cost of groceries needed for a “healthy, budget-conscious diet for a family of four.” The cost-of-living adjustment is meant to account for the growth in the price of food over the last year. Giacomi said that this increase occurred because of the federal government’s annual cost-of-living adjustment. SNAP recipients in Connecticut will also see an average increase of 12.46 percent to their monthly benefits. SNAP recipients are automatically eligible for some other state and federal benefits, like the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs and the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program. And it also helps eligibility workers to be able to quickly refer to what the income limit is across programs.” “When you have your guidelines or your income limits aligned, it allows you to more easily explain to individuals why they qualify or do not qualify for programs. “If you have an individual that is applying, by and large, they are applying for all of the assistance that they perhaps are eligible for,” Giacomi said. Realigning those numbers makes it easier for Connecticut residents and DSS eligibility workers - of whom there are about 800 statewide - to identify what assistance they are eligible for. Giacomi noted that the SNAP income cap used to be aligned with the “HUSKY A” income limit, which determines whether families with children are eligible for Medicaid, until the Medicaid limit was raised to 201 percent of the federal poverty limit with the expansion of the Affordable Care Act. In addition to making 17,600 additional households potentially eligible for SNAP, according to calculations from the Department of Social Services, this change simplifies program administration. “So when you’re looking at a state such as ours that perhaps has higher than average shelter expenses, for example, now we’re going to determine whether or not the individual is going to receive assistance rather than being outright denied based on their gross income.” “Enacting this flexibility up to 200 percent allows us to have those individuals that perhaps are working or have some small amount of income that previously would have denied them for assistance,” Giacomi said. Giacomi explained that this change “smoothes out” benefits, so that people whose income increases will not lose their SNAP benefits, so long as their expenses still keep them under the poverty line. The updated policy raises Connecticut’s gross income limit from 185 percent to 200 percent of the federal poverty line - or from $4,086 to $4,625 monthly for a family of four - the maximum allowable under federal law. Second, their gross income minus expenses - which includes childcare, housing and some medical costs - must not exceed the federal net income limit, which is 100 percent of the federal poverty line. First, their income must not exceed the gross income limit. In order to be eligible for SNAP, most applicants must meet two requirements. “SNAP is something that touches all the communities here in the state … I think we as a community should be looking at any policy or program that we can do or utilize or implement to be able to help these individuals to feed themselves and feed their families.” “This was a way … to maximize the help that individuals are receiving or can be eligible to receive,” said Dan Giacomi, SNAP program administration manager at the Connecticut Department of Social Services. Some advocates from emergency food service providers applauded these changes but worried that they will not fully address the needs of New Haven residents, especially since food insecurity nearly doubled in Connecticut in 2022. Monthly SNAP benefits will also increase by an average of 12.46 percent due to the annual federal cost-of-living adjustment, which accounts for yearly growth in the price of food. 28, increases the maximum monthly gross income for Connecticut SNAP recipients from 185 percent to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. This update, which Governor Ned Lamont announced on Sept. Recipients can use the money on their EBT cards at most food retailers, including some farmers markets. SNAP is a federal program that provides low-income families with monthly additional money for food in the form of an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card. 44,000 Connecticut residents may now be eligible for food assistance benefits under a state change to SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which went into effect on Saturday.
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