Louisiana COVID-19 Supplemental SNAP Benefits
For many students, especially those from low-income backgrounds, school may be the only place where they can get meals.…
April 06, 2020 by EdTrust 
April 06, 2020 by EdTrust
For many students, especially those from low-income backgrounds, school may be the only place where they can get meals. With school closures across the state due to the COVID-19 pandemic, districts and schools have been working tirelessly to provide access to school meals through grab-and-go programs at schools and community sites.
However, with the rampant spread of the new virus throughout Louisiana, some districts have condensed the frequency of food distribution in an effort to better serve and protect the health of students, families, food service providers, and staff at community feeding sites. With less access to these grab-and-go meals, families can take advantage of Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. More Louisiana residents may qualify for SNAP due to changes in work hours and/or income loss.
| If you are a SNAP recipient: |
|---|
| You do NOT have to do anything You can receive up to the maximum monthly allotment for your household size1 If your household is eligible for supplemental SNAP benefits, it will be automatically loaded onto the household’s EBT cards |
| If you are not a SNAP recipient: |
|---|
| You do NOT need to apply in person You can apply for SNAP benefits online or by downloading a paper application and mailing or faxing it to the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Information is available in Spanish, Vietnamese, and Arabic |
- This is NOT Disaster SNAP2 (DSNAP).
- Louisiana residents who applied by March 31, but have not yet been certified eligible or received benefits, will receive March benefits and supplements in April after being certified eligible.
- For residents applying in April, new applicants will receive April benefits on a rolling basis after being certified as eligible.
- If you applied for benefits and have not yet been interviewed, please know that you may NOT have a formal interview. However, someone may contact you for additional information.
For more information, visit FAQs on DCFS website
SNAP COVID-19 not only builds upon the existing SNAP program, but also provides benefits to some families who may have not been eligible for SNAP. Benefits are good for up to 365 days from the date of issuance.
| Household Size | Maximum SNAP Allotment |
|---|---|
| 1 | $194 |
| 2 | $355 |
| 3 | $509 |
| 4 | $646 |
| 5 | $768 |
| 6 | $921 |
| 7 | $1,018 |
| 8 | $1,164 |
| Each Additional Member:$146 | |
1. Households that already receive the maximum allotment will not get receive additional SNAP benefits 2. According to DCFS, there is no DSNAP at this time. The federal government is using other options for providing additional food assistance through the recently enacted Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
| SNAP in Louisiana by the Numbers |
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| About 362,000 (1 in 5) Louisiana households receive SNAP benefits About 232,000 (64%) of current SNAP households will receive boosted benefits SNAP households include almost 770,000 individuals (Feb 2020) 65% of SNAP recipients are children, elderly and/or disabled Average monthly SNAP benefit: $270.22/household Source: Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services |