HOUSTON – The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is extending emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits for the month of June in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday.
Texans in need can apply for benefits, including SNAP and Medicaid, at YourTexasBenefits.com or use the Your Texas Benefits mobile app to manage their benefits.
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HHSC received federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to extend the maximum, allowable amount of SNAP benefits to recipients based on family size, and all SNAP households will receive a minimum of $95 in emergency allotments.
Recipients will also continue to receive a 15 percent increase in their total benefits, which will continue monthly until September 2021. This 15 percent increase and the additional emergency allotment amount should appear in recipients’ accounts by June 30.
“Thank you to HHSC and USDA for continuing to support Texas families by ensuring they can put healthy food on the table,” Abbott said in a news release. “These benefits continue to provide nutritious food for Texans across the state.”
Administered by HHSC, SNAP is a federal program that provides food assistance to approximately 1.6 million eligible low-income families and individuals in Texas.
“We’re pleased to provide ongoing support to Texans through these emergency SNAP benefits, so they can purchase nutritious foods for their families,” said Texas HHS Access and Eligibility Services Deputy Executive Commissioner Wayne Salter.
The emergency June allotments of approximately $208 million are in addition to the more than $3.4 billion in benefits previously provided to Texans since April 2020.