Extra COVID Emergency SNAP has ended

Emergency SNAP (E-SNAP) is an extra allotment of SNAP benefits for households to help cope with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The extra allotment increases an eligible SNAP recipient’s benefit to the maximum allotment for their household size, with a minimum boost of $95. Households that were already receiving the maximum allotment received an extra $95 per month. 

Since April 2020, Minnesota has used this temporary benefit program made available under the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act. 

The federal government established the program and funding in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to help those who were struggling financially to pay for food. As the pandemic has waned and more people are now able to work, the federal government is ending the program and stopping the funding.

The federal government approved the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, providing funding for the federal fiscal year 2023. Within the bill, the federal government declared the E-SNAP program would end after February 2023. 

Most households will get their last E-SNAP payment in March. Starting in April, most households will get only one SNAP payment. That amount will be the household’s standard monthly benefit.

Since E-SNAP is issued the month after eligibility is determined, most clients will receive their final E-SNAP deposit in March. 

If a household’s SNAP eligibility for February is delayed, they may receive the last E-SNAP payment in a later month.  

A household’s SNAP benefits will depend on standard factors, such as household size, income and deductions.

If a household’s income, costs or household membership has not changed, their SNAP benefits should be similar to the amount they get early each month before they receive the additional E-SNAP benefit.

You can check the deposits online – SNAP account balances and transaction history can be checked online at ebtedge.com, on the EBT Edge app, or on the Providers app. The normal SNAP or MFIP food benefit amount is issued on the same day of each month according to this schedule:

If your case number ends in

• 4, 4th of the month
• 5, 5th of the month
• 6, 6th of the month
• 7, 7th of the month
• 8, 8th of the month
• 9, 9th of the month
• 0, 10th of the month
• 1, 11th of the month
• 2, 12th of the month
• 3, 13th of the month

You can also review the SNAP benefits webpage to help determine their monthly benefit.

Households need to be eligible for more than $0 in SNAP benefits for the month to qualify for E-SNAP. Households that were suspended for the month were not eligible for that month’s E-SNAP.

Unused SNAP benefits expire from your account after 9 months.

People do not have a right to a state fair hearing due to E-SNAP benefits ending because the ending of these benefits is solely due to the change in federal law. However, you may request a fair hearing, orally or in writing, to dispute the household’s current level of benefits at any time within a certification period.

Legal support: Minnesota Statute section 256.045, subdivision 3(h) provides that the commissioner may summarily affirm the county or state agency’s proposed action without a hearing when the sole issue is an automatic change due to a change in state or federal law.

7 C.F.R. 273.15(g) provides that at any time within a certification period a household may request a fair hearing to dispute its current level of benefit.

No. E-SNAP and P-EBT are different benefits. The end of Emergency SNAP has no impact on P-EBT benefits.

Report changes to your eligibility worker as soon as possible. These changes can include: an increase in the number of people in your SNAP household; changes to costs for shelter, utilities, child care or court ordered child support; or a decrease in your income. Reporting these changes may increase your regular monthly benefit amount. You will have to verify the changes. To report any changes to your household, call your local county or tribal eligibility worker using the county and Tribal nation contact list. 

Learn more about SNAP reporting requirements.

Congress enacted legislation under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act that allowed for the provision of additional SNAP benefits for eligible households in March 2020.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 overruled the previous law, the Families First Coronavirus Act, which indicated E-SNAP would end after the public health emergency expired.