About 400,000 Alabamians will see cuts to their food stamp benefits starting in March as the pandemic-era programs expire.
The emergency allocations for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program were made two years ago to provide a financial stimulus during the COVID pandemic. However, the changes were only temporary, and the new government spending bill โ technically called the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 โ ended the program for Alabama and the 25 other states where they exist.
The emergency allocation allowed all households receiving SNAP, commonly referred to as food stamps, to receive an additional $95 in benefits or more between what they were receiving and the maximum allowed for their household size. difference, which was ever larger.
According to the Alabama Department of Human Resources, approximately 393,000 SNAP families in Alabama will be affected, with an average reduction of $170 per family. The change becomes effective with March benefits.
More than 725,000 residents of the state โ roughly 15% โ receive food stamp benefits.
