Ohio families that rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP won’t see any benefits on their food stamp cards this week. But a check from the state is on the way to food banks, where many of these families are turning for help.
The state is sending $7 million to food banks throughout Ohio. But getting partial payments to SNAP recipients is taking more time because late Wednesday night, the federal government changed how much the state can contribute, said Gov. Mike DeWine.
“The change in how much we are allowed to put in—we can do this very quickly, but frankly, it’s all up to the vendor that we have, how long it takes to reprogram their system," DeWine said.
DeWine previously announced the state would contribute $18 million in emergency relief benefits. But only Ohioans who are at 50% or below the federal poverty level will get a share of that money. That's about 63,000 Ohioans, including more than 57,000 children, who are part of the Ohio Works First program for extremely low-income families.
Those families will receive their usual monthly allotment from OWF, plus another 25% of that amount. Those weekly payments will continue for four weeks or until the federal government resumes providing SNAP benefits. But DeWine has noted those families will only get a fraction of what they would have gotten from the regular SNAP program.
Funds from the federal program directly to SNAP recipients stopped on Nov. 1 because of the federal government shutdown, which has now become the longest in U.S. history.
These foodbanks are getting state funds right now
- Freestore Foodbank – $795,637.50
- Greater Cleveland Food Bank – $1,170,837.50
- Toledo Seagate Food Bank – $570,937.50
- Mid-Ohio Food Collective – $1,440,337.50
- Shared Harvest Foodbank – $1,431,937.50
- Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank – $887,337.50
- Second Harvest Foodbank of the Mahoning Valley – $427,437.50
- Second Harvest Foodbank of North Central Ohio – $275,537.50
