Updates State-funded SNAP, Skimming & MA Restaurant Meals Program

Greetings Coalition members. We hope you are gearing up for a rest-filled holiday and New Year. Our next Coalition meeting will be Tuesday, January 23 from 10-11:30. (No meeting on 12/26).

State-funded SNAP for Immigrants: 

As many of you know, the MA Legislature appropriated $6M in funding for state-funded SNAP benefits. The Feeding our Neighbors Campaign is thrilled. Check out Tuesday’s State House News Service story, quoting La Colaborativa and MLRI as well as Speaker Mariano and Senate President Spilka. As the Senate President said, “Massachusetts is better off when the most vulnerable in our communities are cared for. Access to food is a priority, no matter where you come from or what part of the Commonwealth you live in, and I was happy to see aid for that purpose included in the supplemental budget."

We will keep you posted on DTA’s plans for implementation of this state SNAP benefit, and action steps you can take to ensure this critical benefit continues in 2024. If you wish to join the Feeding our Neighbors Coalition , click HERE. We’d love to welcome you as we continue to fight for basic benefits for our neighbors. 

Skimming/Phishing and reminder to protect SNAP: 

Scam alert: DTA has posted an alert on their website reminding families to never share their EBT card number online. DTA will never ask for an EBT card number online, and will never ask a household for their PIN. To learn more about how to protect SNAP from theft, visit Mass.gov/ProtectYourEBT

Replacement for stolen SNAP: Households must report theft within 30 days of when they discover the theft to get replacement SNAP. To report the theft and get DTA a signature (required for replacement), see options at DTA’s Replacement Benefit FAQ here. 

If you work with any families who were stolen from and have not gotten all of their stolen SNAP back, please email Vicky - vnegus@mlri.org. 

$1 million in supplemental budget: We are also very pleased and grateful to the legislature and Governor Healey for including $1 million in state funds for FY24 to fill any gaps between federal replacement limits and what some households have stolen. 

MA Restaurant Meals Program (RMP):

This fall, DTA launched RMP! This is an option allowing households who are homeless, age 60+, or getting a disability benefit to use their SNAP to buy meals at some certain restaurants. Eligible households are automatically enrolled and can use their SNAP at participating retailers to buy food (households who aren’t eligible will have their EBT card denied). Currently there are 6 participating vendors, and growing.  Click here to see the current list of open restaurants and food trucks for RMP! And, click here for a more in depth overview from DTA’s policy guidance. 

Note: Most, but not all, participating retailers are counter service restaurants - meaning the household’s food order will be canceled if they try to purchase food and they don’t have enough SNAP in their account or they aren’t eligible to use their SNAP. Some restaurants are table service, meaning the participant would be responsible for what they buy even if SNAP/EBT is denied. SNAP cannot be used to cover tips.