People in Massachusetts who participate in SNAP will see an increase their benefits increase starting in October, in response to the rising cost of living, Governor Charlie Baker's office announced in a news release Wednesday.
The benefits will increase 12%, as SNAP amounts are adjusted to the current cost of living. Households will see an average increase of $25-$30 a month, according to the release.
There are around 550,000 households in the Bay State that get SNAP benefits, which are adjusted every year by the federal government to keep pace with inflation. Additionally, Massachusetts got approval from the federal government to adjust the heating costs used to calculate benefit amounts, because of the regional rise in utility prices.
"The Baker-Polito Administration continues to leverage every opportunity to tackle food insecurity and maximize federal nutrition programs," Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders said in the news release. "Increasing SNAP benefit amounts to reflect residents’ cost of living, in addition to continuing SNAP Emergency Allotments and implementing free school meals for all Massachusetts students this year, represents the Administration’s ongoing commitment to combating hunger across the Commonwealth."
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People will continue to receive additional, pandemic-related SNAP emergency allotments, which have been available since March 2020.
Here's a chart provided by the state on the new SNAP benefit numbers.
| Maximum Monthly SNAP Amount | ||
| Household Size | Old Amount | Effective October 1: New Amount |
| 1 | $250 | $281 |
| 2 | $459 | $516 |
| 3 | $658 | $740 |
| 4 | $835 | $939 |
| 5 | $992 | $1,116 |
| 6 | $1,190 | $1,339 |
| 7 | $1,316 | $1,480 |
| 8 | $1,504 | $1,691 |
| Each additional person | + $188 | + $211 |
| Minimum Monthly SNAP Amount | ||
| Household Size | Old Amount | New Amount |
| 1-2 Persons | $20 | $23 |
