Inflation blamed for larger, permanent replacement of pandemic boost
Federal ‘food stamp’ payments to Vermont low-income families will increase 21% on October 1, compared to the same date last year – the highest increase in the Vermont ‘3SquaresVT’ program’s history.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the re-evaluation of its Thrifty Food Plan, which estimates the cost of buying groceries for a family of four and is used to calculate benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP.
The re-evaluation concluded that food costs today are 21% higher than the amounts in the current Thrifty Food Plan. The plan was adjusted accordingly.
As a result, the average 3SquaresVT benefit will increase by $36 per person per month starting October 1 when compared to October 1, 2020 benefits. This represents the single largest permanent increase in benefits in the program’s history. It comes at an important time, as a temporary 15% increase in the Thrifty Food Plan, related to the COVID pandemic, will end on September 30, 2021.