Changes To SNAP Income Thresholds Will Expand Eligibility For Benefits, State Officials Say

Pennsylvania will increase the income threshold for
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applicants next month, making
the program accessible to more Pennsylvanians, Wolf administration officials
said on Thursday. 

Beginning on Oct. 1, Pennsylvania will increase the income
threshold for SNAP applicants to 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines (FPIG), the
Department of Human Services said, adding that “more than 420,000 additional
Pennsylvanians in more than 174,000 households will be newly eligible for SNAP”
as a result of the change. 

“Being able to eat and nourish yourself every day is one of
the most essential building blocks to living well and doing everything else in
life. It’s easy to take for granted, but for too many people, being able to
afford your next meal isn’t a given. SNAP helps to make that
possible,” Department of Human Services Executive Deputy Secretary Andrew
Barnes said.

 “Expanding eligibility for SNAP allows us to extend a
reprieve to people who may be struggling so we can help more Pennsylvanians
meet this most essential need that literally fuels us to live, work, grow, and
thrive,” Barnes said. 

The new monthly income thresholds for SNAP eligibility
are: 

• For a
  one-person household … $2,266
• For a
  two-person household … $3,052
• For a
  three-person household … $3,840
• For a
  four-person household … $4,626
• For a
  five-person household … $5,412
• For a
  six-person household … $6,200
• For a
  seven-person household … $6,986
• For an
  eight-person household … $7,772
• For a
  nine-person household … $8,560
• For a
  10-person household … $9,348

The change to the income threshold for SNAP benefits comes
just a day after lawmakers, educators, and advocates called on the General
Assembly to ensure no-cost breakfast and lunch in K-12 schools across the
commonwealth. 

“We know that thriving families create thriving communities,
however, families cannot thrive if they do not have adequate food resources
available to them,” Vanessa Philbert, chief executive officer of Community
Action Partnership of Lancaster County said Thursday. “Expanding access to
nutritious food increases the health of the entire community and enhances
prosperity for everyone.” 

Applications for SNAP and other public assistance programs
can be submitted online, on-site at County Assistance Office for those who cannot access
online services, or through the myCOMPASS PA mobile app.