The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is, without a doubt, a seminal federal tool in ensuring that millions of low-income Americans have access to nutritious food.
One of the most important aspects of SNAP benefits is its ability to adapt to economic conditions, especially inflation, which has given shocks in recent months.
Each year, SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps) are adjusted to reflect changes in the cost of living, ensuring that recipients maintain their purchasing power despite rising prices.
SNAP Benefits Will Change Soon: The Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA)
One of the most significant changes we’ll see to SNAP benefits soon is the cost of living adjustment (COLA). This adjustment, similar to the one applied to Social Security benefits, which is usually made in October, can bring good news for most beneficiaries, since their benefits increase depending on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) of food at home.
However, this is not always the case in all places. For example, the COLA adjustment last year resulted in bad news for the recipients of the allowances, because a reduction in benefits was seen in Hawaii. Although an increase is expected for the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia, this increase may not be as high as the beneficiaries wish.
This Is How SNAP Benefits Are Adjusted to Cope With Inflation
To begin with, the SNAP benefits scaffolding is based on the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), used to determine the maximum benefit amount. The TFP represents a low-cost diet, but always with a focus on being nutritionally adequate. Its cost is updated annually to reflect variations in food prices.
This process is carried out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which analyzes the consumer price index (CPI-W) of food at home. The current SNAP benefit values are in effect until September 30, 2024. From that moment on, the next COLA increase will be applied, which will be, as we have said, prepared in response to inflation.
More SNAP Benefit Changes: New Ages for ABAWD Time Limit
In addition to the COLA increase, there will be a change in the age limit for healthy adults without dependents (ABAWD). Currently, this limit prevents people between the ages of 18 and 52 from receiving food stamps for more than three months in three years, unless they work 80 hours a month. From October 1, 2024, this limit will be extended to people between the ages of 18 and 54.
The ABAWDs must have been working at least 80 hours a month since then, or participate in a work program for the same number of hours.
Another option they have to remain eligible for SNAP benefits may be to combine work and participation in a work program for at least 80 hours a month. If one of these three working hours formats is not met, the ABAWD could lose its assignments.
There are exemptions for certain groups of ABAWDs, such as:
- Full-time students
- Parents of children under the age of two
- Individuals with disabilities
- Caregivers of certain family members
- States may also request time limit waivers for areas with high unemployment rates or where beneficiaries do not have as much access to job or job preparation options.
