Oregon will increase food stamp funding amid coronavirus pandemic
Published 1:45 pm Friday, April 10, 2020
- Before mid-March, the federal food assistance programs in Oregon — Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Aid for Needy Families — had some of the lowest enrollment the state had ever seen.
By Jamie Goldberg • The Oregonian
Oregon will funnel an extra $60 million into its food stamp program to help people buy groceries amid the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Department of Human Services said last week the money will be split between April and May to increase the monthly amount people receive through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Oregonians are facing unprecedented economic instability and food insecurity,” the agency’s director, Fariborz Pakseresht, said in a statement. “This emergency assistance will help address the food needs our neighbors and communities are suddenly facing.”
The $60 million will cover the costs of giving all recipients the maximum amount of assistance allowed for their household size, said Jennifer Grentz, a DHS spokesperson.
The maximum varies, from $194 for one person to $646 for four people.
Households already receiving the maximum monthly amount will not receive any additional benefits, the agency said. Recipients eligible for the additional money will receive the new benefits automatically.
The agency did not identify the funding source of the increased benefits.
