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Supplemental SNAP Benefits to be Issued to Many Louisiana Households on Tuesday

Other Changes Include Suspended Work Requirements, Extended Deadlines

March 30, 2020

BATON ROUGE – Many Louisiana households who received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in March will see an extra boost on their SNAP cards Tuesday (March 31, 2020), following a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) authorizing supplemental SNAP benefits to bring each household to its maximum allotment by size, in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

As dictated by federal law, households already receiving the maximum SNAP allotment for their household size will not receive supplemental benefits.

The supplemental benefits, authorized under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, will be automatically loaded onto SNAP recipients’ EBT cards, delivering an estimated $43 million extra per month in federal food assistance to about 265,000 Louisiana households (63% of all SNAP households in the state).

Louisiana residents who recently applied for SNAP, but have not yet been certified eligible or received March benefits, will receive their March benefits and supplements in April after being certified eligible.

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) will issue supplemental benefits for April as well. Current recipients will receive their regular benefit allotment on their regular issuance date (April 1^st – 14^th), followed by their supplement on April 17^th. New applicants will receive their April benefits and supplements on a rolling basis after being certified as eligible.

The maximum monthly SNAP allotments per household size are as follows:

Household Size	Maximum Monthly Allotment
1	$194
2	$355
3	$509
4	$646
5	$768
6	$921
7	$1018
8	$1164
Each additional member	$146

Calls to the DCFS Customer Service Center have been very high during this time, so the best way for recipients to get an update on their specific case would be through the online CAFÉ customer portal at www.dcfs.la.gov/cafe.

Work Requirements Suspended, Deadlines Extended

Also in response to the pandemic, the federal rule that limited Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) to only three months of benefits unless they met federal work requirements has been temporarily suspended. The rule would have gone into effect for 50 non-waived parishes in Louisiana on April 1, following the expiration of a previously obtained statewide waiver.

Mandatory work participation through the LaJET program in Orleans, Caddo, Ouachita and Rapides parishes has also been suspended.

SNAP recertifications with April deadlines also have been extended. Clients who previously received notices requiring them to reapply for benefits by April 15 will receive a new notice in the coming months with an updated deadline. There is no need to call or reapply until then.

DCFS continues to work with its federal, state and local partners in preparing to implement other provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Should additional changes be approved, the department will announce them as appropriate.

For more information about SNAP, including step-by-step instructions for how to apply for benefits, visit www.dcfs.la.gov/getSNAP or text GETSNAP (no spaces) to 898-211.

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SNAP by the Numbers in Louisiana

About 362,000 (1 in 5) Louisiana households receive SNAP (Feb 2020)

SNAP households include almost 770,000 individuals (Feb 2020)
65% of SNAP recipients are children, elderly and/or disabled
Average monthly SNAP benefit: $270.22/household

SNAP benefits (100% federal funds) for Louisiana total $1.2B per year

4,310 retailers accepted SNAP in FFY19 (pouring $2.18 Billion into economy)

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SNAP Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the agency (state or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (AD-3027) found online at: How to File a Complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

1. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

2. Fax: (202) 690-7442; or

3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.