LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Food stamp recipients will see their monthly payments go up in October due to a major update to the program.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are jumping 27% above pre-pandemic levels. That is the largest increase in the program's history. The boost comes from an update to the Thrifty Food Plan – an estimate of the minimum cost of groceries to meet a family’s needs.
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“I would go to the store and get things and then when I did, I would spend all of my food stamps too fast,” said Maryann Lombardo who receives SNAP benefits.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, one in seven Nevada residents receive SNAP benefits.
“People have lost their jobs and they’ve lost their income. There are so many things that have happened,” said Lisa Segler, the director of strategic initiatives at Three Square.
Nevadans currently enrolled in SNAP benefits don’t need to do anything. The new funds will be sent out automatically beginning in October.
