Expanded food stamps and cash assistance to be distributed

By Matt Bittle
Posted 2/22/21

DOVER — The Delaware Division of Social Services will issue emergency benefits for February to eligible households as part of the state’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 crisis.

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Expanded food stamps and cash assistance to be distributed

Posted

DOVER — The Delaware Division of Social Services will issue emergency benefits to eligible households for February as part of the state’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Benefits will be provided through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and two other programs — Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and General Assistance.

The SNAP emergency food benefit will be issued Wednesday and should be available on recipients’ Electronic Benefit Transfer cards the next day.

TANF and GA households should receive an emergency cash benefit check on or after Wednesday.

This emergency assistance will increase a household’s monthly benefit for each program up to the maximum benefit amount for their household size.

Households that already receive the maximum benefit amount or that had a prorated benefit in the month of February are not eligible for the current emergency funds.

Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which was signed into law in March 2020, the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services has issued emergency benefits each month to any household not already receiving the maximum monthly benefit.

SNAP benefits are as follows: one person, $234; two people, $430; three people, $616; four people, $782; five people, $929; six people, $1,114; seven people, $1,232; eight people, $1,408; and $176 for each additional person. An estimated 34,015 households will be eligible to receive the emergency SNAP allotment for February, totaling about $6.9 million in emergency food benefits for the month.

For TANF, it breaks down to $201 for one person, $270 for two people, $338 for three people, $407 for four people, $475 for five people, $544 for six people, $612 for seven people, $681 for eight people, $750 for nine people and $819 for 10 people.

For GA, it’s one person, $79; two people, $107; three people, $144; four people, $169; five people, $209; and six people, $239.

“The public-health emergency created by the coronavirus pandemic continues to challenge vulnerable Delawareans who struggle to support themselves and their families,” DHSS Secretary Molly Magarik said in a statement. “This added financial assistance helps to provide some measure of security for those in need during this crisis.”

For more information about the DSS benefit programs in response to the pandemic, visit the COVID-19 section of its website. To apply for benefits, go to Delaware ASSIST or call (866) 843-7212.

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