Biden Administration To Increase Food Stamp Benefits By 27% To Highest Level Ever

On Monday, the Biden Administration announced that Food Stamp benefits will increase by 27% above pre-pandemic levels starting in October.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that this is the biggest increase in the program’s 46-year history.

This change is part of a USDA review of the program under the 2018 Farm Bill. Beneficiaries will now receive approximately a $36 hike in average monthly benefits. Now, according to the agency, eligible people will receive $169 per month.

Growing up, my family and I relied on food stamps to make ends meet.@POTUS's expansion of SNAP benefits will be life-changing for so many families in Westchester and Rockland and across the country. https://t.co/QruBqNt0FR

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of political news in your in-box.
We find the news you need to know, so you don't have to.

— Rep. Mondaire Jones (@RepMondaire) August 17, 2021

With these updates, there will be a 7% increase in daily caloric intake for consumers and the inclusion of pre-prepared food.

The update was also a result of an update to the Thrifty Food Plan. The plan calculates and determines the changes in the cost of groceries for, as an example, a family of four that is also budget-conscious.

Consumer advocates have long argued that food stamps run out in less than a month and that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is current with today’s purchasing data.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 42 million people have been enrolled in the program as of May. Lawmakers have made updates based on four factors in the 2018 Farm Bill: food prices, dietary guidance, nutrients in food and data related to what Americans eat today.