(Washington, D.C.) - Food stamp benefits will be increasing.

 

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it had revised its formula for determining Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments, otherwise known as food stamps.

 

The USDA already increased payments by 5% last year to help during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that was based on an old formula, which hadn’t been updated in 40 years.

 

The new plan includes a 21% increase in budget, which means an average increase of about $36.24 a month, or an average of $1.20 per day, for those enrolled in the program. The increase is slated to begin on October 1st. 

 

As of June, over 635,000 Hoosiers receive SNAP benefits; most of these households are families with children, seniors, or people with disabilities.