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SNAP benefits good through February

The Trump Administration is making food stamp benefits good through February. The shutdown resulted in only enough to provide Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits until the end of January, but U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says there’s now an extra month’s worth. Perdue told reporters February benefits will go out early.

“States will have until January the 20th, January 20, to implement early issuance,” Secretary Perdue told reporters Tuesday. “Once the issuance is made, the February benefits will be made available to SNAP participants at that time.”

If the shutdown continues beyond the next few weeks, Acting Deputy Undersecretary Brandon Lipps says there’s a backup plan for March.

“We do have $3 billion remaining in that contingency fund,” said Lipps, on the same conference call to reporters, “which is not the money that we’re referencing in the CR for this latest issuance.”

For the February benefits, the USDA is using a provision in the continuing resolution that expired December 21. It allows USDA to meet its obligations within 30 days of the law’s expiration, according to Lipps, which is why February benefits are going out by January 20th.