Apr. 1—AUSTIN — Governor Greg Abbott announced on Friday that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission is providing more than $318 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food benefits for the month of April, a press release detailed.
The allotments are expected to help more than 1.5 million Texas households.
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, the press release stated. This additional emergency allotment should appear in recipients' accounts by April 30.
"Emergency SNAP benefits have played an important role in our efforts over the past two years to ensure that every Texan has access to nutritious food," Abbott stated in the press release. "We are grateful to HHSC and USDA for helping families across Texas remain safe and healthy."
"We continue to do our best to support Texans who need a helping hand," Texas HHS Access and Eligibility Services Deputy Executive Commissioner Wayne Salter stated in the press release. "These benefits assist families throughout the state to provide nutritious meals to their loved ones."
The emergency April allotments are in addition to the more than $6.4 billion in benefits previously provided to Texans since April 2020, the press release detailed.