Food stamp benefits to increase by more than 25% in October

By ASHRAF KHALIL and JOSH BOAK
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has approved a significant and permanent increase in the levels of food stamp assistance available to needy families. It’s the largest single increase in the program’s history. Starting in October, average benefits for food stamps  will rise more than 25 percent above pre-pandemic levels. The increased assistance will be available indefinitely to all 42 million beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The increase coincides with the end of a 15 percent boost in SNAP benefits that was ordered as a pandemic protection measure. In practical terms, the average monthly per-person benefits will rise from $121 to $157.