Coalition Meeting on 1/26, Unemployment & SNAP flier, P-EBT Updates

FoodSNAP
Special SNAP Coalition call info below along with other updates - including a flier on SNAP and unemployment benefits!
 
Special SNAP Coalition Zoom on Tuesday, 1/26 from 10-11 to cover federal updates!
 
In light of Friday's executive order, we are having a special Coalition meeting. We will cover the following:
  • What we know so far about the Executive Order and what it could mean for MA - for a sense of what the order does, see this excellent summary from Politico. Also see this Boston 25 news clip from over the weekend - featuring powerful words from an immigrant no longer afraid of getting SNAP for her family (along with a few words from Pat!). 
  • State legislative and budget campaigns, including SNAP Gap/Common App; Universal Free School Meals and Hunger Free Campus campaigns, boosting HIP, Lift Our Kids and more. 
  • Reminders about how 15% boost will be issued by DTA and P-EBT issuance on 1/25 for December. 
 
 
Unemployment Benefits and SNAP - MLRI flier and more information!
 
Many Unemployment benefit recipients are eligible for SNAP!! Please help us spread the word that the $300 weekly boost in Unemployment benefits - the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) - does not count for SNAP! We are worried many families think they are not eligible due to this boost in Unemployment (especially because the boost did count as income in the spring). 
 
Please note that folks generally get their regular unemployment amount (eg. regular UI, PUA) and the $300 boost in the same deposit in their bank account - so they may not know to distinguish between the base amount and the $300/week boost. 
 
Attached is a flier from MLRI with advice on applying for SNAP for folks getting unemployment (regular UI, PUA, etc) - it also includes sample SNAP amounts based on weekly unemployment amounts and household size. With the pandemic supplements and the 15% boost, SNAP is a hugely important nutrition program for families disconnected from work right now. Please share widely! 
 
Please let us know if you are seeing any issues with unemployment benefit recipients and accessing SNAP. 
 
 
P-EBT issued today, 1/25, for December 
 
DTA is issuing P-EBT on the 25th of each month to cover the previous month. Today, 1/25, all eligible children should have gotten P-EBT for December (either the hybrid amount or fully remote amount, depending on each child's circumstances). 
  • See MAp-EBT.org to learn more, download fliers in multiple languages, etc!
  • To request a replacement P-EBT card, visit DTAConnect.com/PEBT 
  • And if families have income below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, recommend they apply for SNAP ASAP!!
 
Attachment Size
MLRI_Unemployment_Benefits_and_SNAP_Chart_-_Jan_2021.pdf (663.8 KB) 663.8 KB