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PENNSYLVANIA – The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, known as SNAP or food stamps, is a federal program that provides food assistance to over 42 million low-income people — meaning nearly 1 in 8 people receive the benefit each month. The money comes loaded on prepaid cards that they can use for groceries. 

The backstory:

The Food Stamp Program (FSP) was introduced in the 1930s during the Great Depression, and the first recipient was Mabel McFiggin of Rochester, New York on May 16, 1939. Congress made the FSP permanent with the Food Stamp Act of 1964.    

Over the years, the program saw several changes and in the late 1980s, the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) system was introduced, allowing recipients to electronically pay for purchases. The first EBT pilot began in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1984.

The 2008 Farm Bill increased the federal government’s commitment to food assistance and changed the name of the program to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP.

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By the numbers:

The USDA says in the accounting year that ended on Sept. 30, 2024, SNAP cost just over $100 billion, providing an average of $190.59 a month per person to over 42 million people. The average monthly benefit per household is $356.21, according to data from the USDA.

In Fiscal Year 2024, 15.3% of Pennsylvania residents participated in SNAP, with an average of two million recipients receiving SNAP benefits monthly, according to analytics by USAFacts. 

In New Jersey, a monthly average of about 827,000 residents received SNAP benefits. That is roughly 8.7% of the population in 2024. 

Will SNAP benefits be issued in November?

What we know:

No. SNAP benefits are completely funded by the federal government. That means Americans won’t see benefits at least until the government opens, but officials don’t know exactly when payments will resume.

Pennsylvania stopped issuing payments on Oct. 16.

Once payments do resume, it’s not clear whether beneficiaries will receive back pay for the missed benefits, state officials said. That decision will be up to the federal government.

Where to find food pantries

Local perspective:

PA-Navigate.org, where people can search for food assistance by ZIP code, including community gardens, food delivery, food pantries and more.Feeding Pennsylvania offers a similar tool to help find food pantries in your area.

The Source: Information in this article was taken from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and previous reporting by FOX LOCAL.

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