This article provides information on Pennsylvania’s SNAP (Food stamp) program, including the latest on Emergency Allotments (EA) approved via the federally funded COVID stimulus bills.
Nearly two million residents benefit from the federally funded, state administered program. See further details and payments schedules below.
These SNAP EA payments boost existing food stamp benefits up to the maximum amount for their household size. Households that are already receiving the maximum benefit amount will receive an additional $95 per month.
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Emergency Allotments and Food Stamp Deposit Dates 2023
PA has requested and received USDA approval for federally funded SNAP Emergency Allotment (EA) for January and February 2023. This EA payments increase your standard SNAP allotment for the month. Details on the request and issuance dates are provided below.
January EA Issuance Date(s): Jan 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 31 up to issuances on March 10
February EA Issuance Date(s): Feb 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28 & March 1st; clean up issuances on Apr 17
If eligible, you will get the extra payment/allotment on your EBT card later this month to help you buy food and groceries in the absence of additional stimulus payments or expanded unemployment benefits.
See this article for further information on the SNAP program and extra benefit allotments in other states.
Despite passing a $1.7 trillion spending bill, no additional funding was allocated for further SNAP Emergency allotments after February 2023. So benefits will likely end in March 2023. I will post further updates as applicable.
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State SNAP Benefit Resources and Contact Information
The SNAP program assists low-income households in Pennsylvania by providing them with financial assistance to purchase food. This program helps individuals and families afford more nutritious options at grocery stores and supermarkets.
Eligible participants will be issued an EBT ACCESS Card, which can be used to make food purchases.
Here is some useful information and links for the state’s SNAP program
- Application for online benefits (1-800-692-7462)
- See the full SNAP issuance schedule
- State Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) registration page (contact – 1-888-328-7366)
You can also see this article for more on PA Unemployment benefits.
We’re supposed to go to food banks. Regardless of whether we have health or dietary restrictions or transportation issues. We’re supposed to be GRATEFUL for whatever “handouts” we get. As if we don’t pay taxes, contribute to society or vote. Or matter.
Poor people that rely on social programs to stay alive are pieces of crap to conservatives. Our existence to them is offensive. It doesn’t matter if we served and are disabled, if we are homeless, or working 3 jobs to scrape by for our rent, if we are struggling, apparently it’s ALL OUR FAULT, and we are pieces of shit for it. The fact these same people just took control of the House and plan to gut any and all social programs they can get their greedy, grubby, selfish little hands on, is just a byproduct of our society allowing and enabling these people to get away with this behavior. Do you think it’s a coincidence the cost of food is skyrocketing, but the CEO and executive pay continues to climb? These people want to keep putting more and more into their own pockets and they will do so at the expense of the rest of us because THEY CAN! If they make enough, they can create a labyrinth of schemes and loopholes to get out of paying their fair share in taxes too, which squeezes everyone in the middle who works hard. The poor get shafted, because face it, we are poor, no one gives a shit, and the middle class can pay the difference so that rich business owners can shaft employee’s and customers to line their own pockets, but hey… Capitalism… am I right.
You also have companies like Giant, who allow you to shop online using your EBT. Sounds great and all, but since I am on a shoestring budget I watch every dollar, and I notice how they actually cheat people who order online. Did you ever order groceries and see a deal where you order 5 of something and you get it at a discount? Well guess what happens when you order and pay for 5 of something, only for them to “claim” they only had 4. You basically buy 4 and don’t get a discount, which defeated the purpose of making that purchase to begin with. I’ve tested this out at our local giant, where I shop the coupons and deals, and they routinely claim to be out of certain items that would enable my discount, yet I’ve actually went inside while they were loading up my car and lo and behold, the items were there on the friggin shelf. That means they do this intentionally, and doing so intentionally for people who are using SNAP to pay for groceries, should be a crime. If they are going to advertise a deal, and you put it in your cart and pay for it, regardless if it’s there, you should get the deal, because they allowed you to check out with it. They should not be allowed to have a “backsies” on the deal because they claim they are low or out of stock. When we only have 300 or 400 a month of SNAP to spend on groceries for 2 disabled adults with specific dietary requirements, even a small waste of money can mean not having enough to eat for the month. With the cost of groceries going through the roof, it feels like a form of deceptive marketing and theft, but they get away with it and no one gives a shit. I think any grocer that accepts SNAP should be required to give all due deference to any and all sales, deal’s, coupons et cetera, regardless of whether or not the customer asks for or seeks them out. I think when you use SNAP, the price of the food should be at the lowest possible amount allowed by law or the wholesale value grocers pay, to prevent grocers from gouging SNAP recipients by raising prices on items they frequently purchase. Perhaps if there were consumer protections in place for SNAP recipients, it would force grocers to be fairer, and show everyone else just how much they are paying due to business greed. I get that inflation is real, and some of this cost may be genuine inflation, but a large part of it is artificial inflation, where business owners and executives are passing the costs for their pay, bonuses and shareholder returns to consumers, and making everyone else eat a big fat shit sandwich in the process.
I have a local business that owns several McDonalds franchises in my area. They refuse to pay more than minimum wage. I asked the COO over a lunch one day, why they won’t pay at least closer to a living wage. He said it runs against their business model of paying bottom dollar and allowing high turnover. The franchise owner owns 3 houses and bought a 4th during the pandemic, due to this model. He claimed they hire mostly high school kids and they don’t need a living wage, yet when I looked at the kitchen I saw several seniors and people in their 50’s and above working at various positions. The truth is, businesses will pay as little as they are allowed, because they don’t give a shit about employee’s. They want asses in seats to crank out crap, which they can continually upcharge, to put money into the owners pocket. They don’t care about the people working in that business, they care about their pocket. Since no one ever gets rich on their own, and all wealth is derived off the backs of the rest of us through our consumer culture, I say the paradigm of business owners pocketing our living wages needs to end. Until the masses stand up in force and hold these practices accountable as with the people that perpetuate them, things will only get worse. Appealing to reason, empathy, or social welfare will not work. These business owners do not care about anyone other than themselves. They need to be reasoned with at the ballot box, through legislation, and with our dollars going to their competitors. Unfortunately, it’s easier to just ignore the problem and hope someone else fixes it, which is why no one ever does anything and nothing ever changes.
Don’t forget the 1.7 trillion dollars just passed had nothing in it to extend the extra snap benefits. It’s not one side or the other all politicians lie and deceit the public. Government is for the wealthy in mind and poor people never ever matter…one example.. let’s pay the rich peoples student loans and screw the poor people.. politicians have no dam clue what poor means!
Why is the amounts different every month?
Now when people need it the most the way food prices are!
Exactly. Take it away when prices skyrocketing. Makes no sense whatsoever. What are we to do come March ♂️