Gov. Mike Braun announced today that partial federal food benefits will be available to eligible Indiana residents starting Tuesday, with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, payments now being processed.
Funding for SNAP, the nation’s largest anti-hunger program, ran out Oct. 31. In Indiana, more than 571,000 people received SNAP benefits in September, according to the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration.
Because of the government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service temporarily reduced the maximum SNAP benefit by 50 percent. Since SNAP assumes households spend 30 percent of their net income on food, the state must recalculate benefits by subtracting 30 percent of net income from the reduced maximum allotment.
Braun's announcement comes after a series of federal lawsuits and a government shutdown left funding for the program in limbo.
Food pantries were already seeing an increasing number of people seeking aid as federal support dried up.
Late Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an emergency order temporarily blocking a full restart of the program after a lower court ruled that full SNAP benefits needed to be released.
That order was the latest in a series of court decisions over how much funding would be distributed to millions of Americans.
In a press release, Braun said full payments are likely not far behind. The federal government shutdown may be winding down as Democrats and Republicans are reportedly close to securing a deal.
“After weeks of gridlock, it’s good to see some folks in D.C. finally come to their senses,” Braun said.
Braun said once funding is restored, SNAP benefits can be distributed in full.
“Indiana is well-positioned to distribute them as soon as possible,” he said.
People who need immediate food assistance are encouraged to call 2-1-1 or contact their local food bank.
Contact Health Reporter Benjamin Thorp at bthorp@wfyi.org
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