FNS Documents & Resources

USDA is committed to providing nutrition assistance to hard-hit families across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. In support of President Biden’s call to action on hunger, USDA announced that it is increasing the Pandemic EBT benefit by approximately 15 percent, providing more money for low-income families and millions of children missing meals due to school and child care closures.

This memo provides information on how states can request certain SNAP COVID-19 administrative flexibilities beginning May 2021, including information pertaining to certain options allowed under the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021.

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. This legislation provides support for American families, state governments, and communities to rebuild and respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

This memorandum implements Section 1101(b) of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which provides SNAP state agencies with administrative funding to support program administration.

In an effort to make the distribution of P-EBT benefits to eligible children as efficient as possible, USDA has developed a simple P-EBT summer plan template. The template allows states to elect a USDA-determined standard benefit that relieves states of the burden of determining their own benefit levels based on state-specific school district calendars.

FNS will allow state agencies to suspend SNAP regulations at 7 CFR 273.18(d) by allowing flexibility in the time frame for establishing or disposing of new claims as well as SNAP regulations at 7 CFR 273.18(e)(1) and (e)(5) by not requiring collection of active recoupment of SNAP overpayments, delaying collection on newly established overpayments, and not considering any payments delayed due to this suspension to be delinquent.

FNS is allowing states flexibility regarding fair hearing timeframes. As needed, state agencies may extend the fair hearings process up to 120 days from receipt of the request for fair hearings that were already in process or for which requests are received from March 1 through May 31, 2020.

This letter provides key information about a change in the way the Department of Homeland Security (OHS) is administering the public charge ground of inadmissibility. My message to you is simple: The 2019 public charge rule is no longer in effect, and we are seeking your support in communicating this change to the public.

The purpose of this memorandum is to ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the federal regulatory requirements related to the disclosure of confidential WIC vendor and participant information.

This memorandum supersedes the March 20, 2020, and April 21, 2020 guidance, and conveys a policy change that advances the goals of the Executive Order and the President’s call to reevaluate EA policy. Under this new policy, households who had not been receiving EA payments and those whose EA payments were less than $95 per month will receive increased benefits.