It may become harder for some families to put food on the table this month as some pandemic-era SNAP benefits expire on Thursday.
Locally, some lawmakers are pushing to extend the aid just as local organizations sound the alarm.
“People are worried,” Project Bread CEO Erin McAleer told 7NEWS.
The Greater Boston Food Bank estimates nearly 647,000 households in Massachusetts received COVID-19 snap payments over the last two years worth an average of $150 per month per household.
Speaking this week, McAleer said the move to end the benefits was expected. Still, it’s a major blow.
Catherine Lynn of the Greater Boston Food Bank also voiced concerns.
“At a time when food, gas, energy prices are at an all time high, this loss of benefits hits families very hard and I am worried,” Lynn said.
The food bank and other organizations step in for families in situations where SNAP benefits aren’t enough. They predict the need will soon skyrocket
Though SNAP is traditionally federally funded, Gov. Maura Healey has filed a supplemental bill that would allow state funding to cover 40% of the extra SNAP benefit families had been receiving for the next three months.
“That is going to be helpful because it won’t be as dramatic of a cliff, but no doubt, this is going to have a huge impact on households across our state,” McAleer said.
Healey’s bill needs approval from the state legislature to take effect.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)