Policy Memo (98.31 KB)
| DATE: | March 26, 2009 |
| SUBJECT: | SNAP - Implementing the Increased Allotments under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) for Cases not Affected by a Mass Change |
| TO: | Regional Directors Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program All Regions |
As you know, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 signed by President Obama on Feb. 17, 2009 increases Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by raising maximum allotments by 13.6 percent of the June 2008 value of the Thrifty Food Plan. ARRA specifies that this increase is considered a mass change.
It has come to Food and Nutrition Service's attention that although states have incorporated the 13.6 percent increase to SNAP maximum allotments into their systems as a mass change effective April 1, 2009 there are some states where not every household will automatically receive the increase as part of their April allotment due to the limitations of certain state systems. This occurs in states where applications from March are pending or where other case changes are manually processed. Whether a state agency implements the benefit increase manually or as a mass change, recipients are entitled to get the increase in a timely manner.
Please remind your state agencies to put extra emphasis on proper handling of all manual case actions required to implement the increase in a timely manner and to report any problems that occur related to implementing the increase to our office.
State agencies that have questions regarding this memorandum should contact their respective regional office representative; regional office staff who have questions should contact their respective liaison in the Certification Policy Branch.
Arthur T. Foley
Director
Program Development Division
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program