Breaking news!! State-Funded SNAP benefits for Legal Immigrants in Massachusetts!
As many of you heard at Tuesday's SNAP Coalition meeting, we have GOOD NEWS from the Feeding our Neighbors Coalition. On Monday, December 4th, the Massachusetts Legislature passed and the Governor signed a "Supplemental Budget" that includes $6M in funding for special state-funded SNAP benefits for immigrant households. YES!!
These state SNAP benefits - which will be available toward the end of January - are for low-income legally present immigrants not eligible for federal SNAP due to their immigrant status, such as:
-
Humanitarian Parole (some of whom, if age 18+, may be subject to a 5 year waiting period)
-
pending application for asylum,
-
Temporary Protected Status, (TPS)
-
Special Immigrant Juvenile status,
-
Victims of violence (U visa)
-
and a list of other status considered "permanently residing under color of law" (PRUCOL).
The Supp Budget includes only $6M, and is intended to cover the cost of state-funded SNAP for 7 months (December 2023 thru June of 2024). And it does not include Legal Permanent Residents age 18+ who may be subject to the 5 year waiting period, but there are exceptions to that federal rule.
We recognize that the $6M may not be enough for 7 months of benefits for all who qualify. However, this is still a HUGE victory for immigrant families in Massachusetts. The Feeding Our Neighbors Campaign has been working hard during 2023 to secure both state funded SNAP and cash benefits for immigrants (the Supp Budget did not include cash), and we will continue to do so.
Thanks to ALL of you who have contributed stories and advocacy to this campaign. With La Colaborativa, who worked with MLRI to spearhead this campaign, we are planning a special "THANK YOU" day at the State House, possibly on December 14th. Stay tuned for details.
Giving Thanks! We urge Coalition members to call or send notes of thanks (handwritten is really nice) to our Feeding Our Neighbors champions Senator Sal DiDomenico and House Chair Antonio Cabral, as well as to Senate President Karen Spilka, House Speaker Ron Mariano, Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodriques, House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz, Leader Michael Moran, Leader Alice Peisch, Representative Jessica Giannino. Additionally, we urge you to extend deep thanks to Governor Maura Healey, Lt Governor Kim Driscoll, EOHHS Secretary Kate Walsh and to DTA Commissioner Jeff McCue.
What next? As Commissioner McCue noted at the Coalition meeting, DTA is in the throes of working on implementation details so that families currently receiving SNAP for some, but not all, family members will see an increase in their SNAP and DTA will also be accepting SNAP applications from immigrants not currently connected to SNAP but who meet the criteria.
Commissioner McCue advised the Coalition that the benefits will hopefully be available by the end of January, but retroactive to the date the Governor signed the budget - December 4th (or, for individuals not currently part of a SNAP household, the date after December 4 that an application was filed). More details will emerge as DTA works out the systems, policy and training issues - but rest assured, DTA is actively working on this. NOTE: Immigrant households are welcome to apply for SNAP benefits now. They will likely get denied until the state program goes “live” in January, but the case will likely be reopened and benefits will be retroactive to Dec 4th or the date of application,
Advocacy in January 2024: Again, the $6M is only for state-funded SNAP for the current fiscal year, and may not be enough for the full year, nor does it cover all immigrant families. The Feeding Our Neighbors Coalition will be advocating for additional funding if there are any shortfalls, as well as advocating for continued funding - for both cash and SNAP benefits for immigrant families - in the FY25 Budget (next year's budget). IF you are not part of the Feeding Our Neighbors Coalition, please join today: https://www.