DTA SNAP and Cash Benefits: Overview

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MLRI

Below are resources for community organizations and individuals.

Extra Emergency SNAP Benefits - "Emergency Allotments" - Last payment was June 2

Federal extra SNAP benefits started in March 2020 and ended in February 2023.

Massachusetts is leading the nation by providing state funded SNAP benefits at 40% of what households were receiving in the federal Emergency Allotments, for 3 months. The final payment was on June 2. 

To learn more, including how to boost your SNAP if you don't get the maximum amount and resources in 16 languages, visit Mass.gov/state-funded-extra-snap-payments

Having stories of the hardships households face due to the loss of SNAP benefits will help us defend against potential SNAP cuts on a federal level in the future. Please share what you hear or experience due to the end of the SNAP Emergency Allotments.

FAQs for Older Adults on how to maximize SNAP through medical expenses

See these FAQs in English and Spanish.

DTA Local Offices: Status

DTA local offices are open for limited in person services. See Mass.gov/DTA/covid-19 for more information. You have a right to apply for DTA benefits the same day you go to a DTA office. Please contact MLRI - info@masslegalservices.org - if you or a client need help from DTA that was not provided in person (for example, if you needed an EBT card and DTA said you could only get a card by mail).  

To apply for SNAP:  

All applications for SNAP must be done online, by phone, in person, or by faxing or mailing in paper application:

  • To apply online, including from your smartphone, go to DTAConnect.com
  • To apply by phone, call DTA at 877-382-2363. Press "7" after the introductory message to reach a worker directly. State you want to apply by phone. 
  • To get information about paper applications or local office locations, visit Mass.gov/SNAP

To apply in person at a local DTA office, tell the staff you want to apply with a paper application in person, or ask for help applying by phone or on DTAConnect.com. Do not leave the office without applying - the date you apply is the date benefits go back to in most cases. 

EBT cards

To get a card:

  • Go to a DTA office 

  • Use DTA Connect or DTAConnect.com

  • Follow the prompts for reporting a lost/stolen EBT card on the DTA Assistance Line at 1 877 382 2363, 

  • Speak with a DTA worker to request one by calling the DTA Assistance Line, or cash case manager if getting TAFDC/EAEDC, or 

  • Call EBT Customer Service at (800) 997-2555

EBT cards mailed out take about ~3-10 days to arrive. DTA can overnight mail EBT cards in "dire need" circumstances, and in very limited circumstances hand deliver a card in the community. If a client does not have a mailing address or for an urgent reason needs access to their benefits, contact a local office manager or the DTA Ombuds Office. Clients can track the EBT card in the mail via DTA Connect.

Contact MLRI - vnegus@mlri.org - if you ask for an EBT card in person and are not given one. Download fliers in English and Spanish on how to get an EBT card. 

To apply for cash assistance (TAFDC or EAEDC): 

Cash assistance applications can be filed online at DTAConnect.com (click the blue "apply" banner). A case manager will need to speak with the client after the application is filed.

TAFDC or EAEDC applicants can also call their local DTA office by phone to start an application by phone for cash assistance, or go in person to a local DTA office.  Visit DTA's website for a list of DTA office phone numbers and addresses. 

The 3 month SNAP time limit (also called "ABAWD work requirements") is still suspended

Please see this flier for more information, also posted in Spanish

Pandemic EBT benefits for families with children

P-EBT for the 2022-2023 school year will go out for eligible K-12 kids on June 25, 2023, and for kids under 6 who were receiving SNAP between September 2022 and early May 2023 on August 25, 2023. For updates and to learn more visit MAp-EBT.org 

Other DTA Information:

For clients with disabilities who need access to additional supports, please contact the appropriate local office client assistance coordinator

For additional information about emergency food resources, such as food pantries or student meal sites, please call Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline at (800) 645-8333.

For recent updates sent to the SNAP Coalition (some information may be out of date), please see: Masslegalservices.org/blog/snap