December EBT Update

Welcome back to our new EBT update! We’ve got some awesome news this month… and some not so great news as well. Some SNAP users are going to see their benefits increase a little bit… and some people are going to see cuts. It’s really going to depend on where you live. 

There are a few different factors that are going to influence these changes. I know you’re all worried about your benefits, and we want to make sure we’re helping you cut through that confusion, so we’re going to break them all down in this video in a way that is clear and hopefully easy to follow. 

SNAP Calculation Changing

Let’s start with the big one. The USDA recently announced a final rule that is going to change how SNAP benefits are calculated for a lot of users.

So here’s what’s happening. 

Right now, the states can decide how they want to calculate the Utility Deduction. Deductions help offset your income so that less of it counts against you. Basically, this means that if you’re paying more in utility costs, you should be getting more in food stamps… or at least, that’s what it is supposed to mean. 

Some states use a fixed amount called a Standard Utility Allowance or SUA instead of using what you’re actually paying. There are no rules or regulations about how states set their SUAs, and that means that some of those utility allowances are way out of date and wildly inaccurate. Some are honestly ridiculous. 

That’s why the USDA has issued a new final rule that is going to standardize how states handle the utility deduction. The new rule has a lot of elements that will impact the final calculation of your food benefits.

Let’s look at the most impactful ones:

• Your Internet service will now be recognized as a basic utility in the SNAP calculation. That means it counts toward your utility deduction, just like your water, electricity and other basic utilities. 
• The USDA has given states specific guidelines to follow when calculating their Standard Utility Allowances. The rules allow states to tailor their SUAs for different areas to show variations in local utility costs. 
• States are required to submit their Standard Utility Allowance calculations to the USDA every five years for review.
• States are also ordered to adjust their SUA rates annually to account for changes in utility costs. 

Around 30% of households are estimated to see a small increase in their benefits after these changes are made. Around 5% of people may see a small decrease, which means it is possible that these changes could actually result in you getting less benefits. However, the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service estimates that most SNAP households will not experience any change in their SNAP benefits as a result of this change. Ultimately, it will depend on how your state chooses to calculate the SUAs. 

These changes may not come quickly. The USDA has given states until October 1st of next year to finalize and implement their updated SUAs.

SNAP Cuts in Massachusetts

Starting on December 1, the Healthy Incentives Program in Massachusetts is slashing their benefits by 50% or more. This program has provided $40 to $80 per month for healthy food purchases at certain vendors, but this month the maximum benefit will be capped at $20. That’s a big cut for the individuals and families who have relied on this benefit, and it’s coming at a terrible time. 

Summer EBT in Iowa

As you might have heard, the governor proposed using the government’s Summer EBT funds to send food boxes to families instead of providing the usual $120 in extra benefits per child. Instead of the extra EBT boost, families would receive three food boxes each month instead. 

The USDA said no. They gave a few specific reasons for this:

• The USDA has data showing that the Summer EBT program reduces hunger and Iowa didn’t offer any evidence that their plan was better.
• They also said that Summer EBT cards are mailed to families, which is more convenient than the Governor’s plan to force families to pick up their food boxes.
• The USDA pointed out that they already have programs that distribute food at specific locations and that those programs typically have low levels of participation.
• Ultimately, Iowa’s plan would create a demonstration project and Congress has stopped funding those… so the USDA said no.

At this point, anti-hunger advocates are pushing Governor Reynolds to opt-in to Summer EBT for 2025. The paperwork for that is due by January 1st, so it’s important that the state act quickly.

However, Governor Reynolds has said that she will resubmit her proposal once the Trump Administration takes over to see if she’ll get a different answer.

Deadline for SNAP Benefit Replacements

Right now, if someone steals your SNAP benefits – maybe through card skimming or some other kind of fraud – you can actually get those benefits replaced. This is thanks to a special temporary rule that Congress created a while ago.

But here’s the problem: that rule is set to expire on December 20th, 2024. That’s just a few weeks away! After that, it’s unclear whether you’ll be able to get your stolen benefits replaced.

The good news is that Congress has already acted to extend this once, so they may do it again. This replacement program was supposed to expire at the end of September, but then it was extended. It’s entirely possible that the program will be extended again, but there are currently no guarantees that will happen. 

Obviously, this could be a huge blow for folks who are already struggling. Losing your SNAP benefits to theft is bad enough, but not being able to get them replaced could be devastating.

You can take action to help ensure that this program continues for those who need it. You just need to contact your representatives and let them know that this is a vital lifeline for many families.

New Fraud Prevention Measures

Now, the good news is that the government is taking some steps to help curb fraud. The USDA recently announced that they are going to introduce some new protection for EBT cards. 

Over the last several years, several states have developed special controls that empower their EBT users the ability to turn off out-of-state transactions. This is really helpful, because a lot of the scammers who steal EBT benefits use them out-of-state. 

In a recent press release, the USDA said that they were starting a new pilot program that would reduce out-of-state benefit theft. The new pilot would automatically block out-of-state transactions by default. You could choose to enable out-of-state transactions if you want to… but your benefits would be protected by default unless you intentionally took action to enable those out-of-state purchases. That would be a big step toward helping your benefits be more secure. 

The USDA secretary also sent a letter to state governors, encouraging them to implement chipped EBT cards. The USDA recently revised technical standards so that states can create cards with chip technology. States that choose to do this can even be reimbursed by the federal government for up to 50% of their costs. 

The letter specifically says, “This advancement makes it possible to align SNAP EBT technology with credit and debit industry standards. This means that SNAP cardholders can and should be afforded the same preventative protections that other cardholders are afforded under credit and debit industry standards. The industry shift toward chip cards has proven an effective method to safeguard card usage from theft and fraud. Therefore, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) strongly urges all states to adopt the new EBT standards, and to work with your EBT processor and SNAP retailers in your state to transition to SNAP chip cards as soon as feasible.”

Meanwhile, it’s really important to remember to keep your benefits safe. EBT users in Alabama, Louisiana and other states are reporting insane surges in theft. One person in Georgia reported that her benefits had been stolen for three consecutive months!

It’s important to remember to change your PIN every 30 days to prevent theft… and if your benefits are stolen, remember to call their local county offices to report it. Some users in Alabama are calling the number on the back of their cards, but local news provider WVTM found that this number leads to the company that makes the cards and not the state government. 

New EBT Discounts

We’ve found some new museums that are offering EBT discounts now. The list of new additions includes: 

• Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona
• Holocaust Museum in Los Angeles, California
• New Britain Museum of American Art in New Britain, Connecticut
• Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens in Washington DC
• Amesbury Carriage Museum in Amesbury, Massachusetts
• Industrial History Center in Amesbury, Massachusetts
• Coos Art Museum in Coos Bay, Oregon
• Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education in Portland, Oregon
• Pottstown Children’s Discovery Center in Pottstown, Pennsylvania
• Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, Tennessee
• Food + Farm Exploration Center in Plover, Wisconsin
• Huey’s Hideaway Children’s Museum in Medford, Wisconsin
• Mulva Cultural Center in De Pere, Wisconsin

All of these have been added to our list of more than 1,000 EBT discounts nationwide at LowIncomeRelief.com/EBT, so please go check that out. 

We also noticed that DoorDash has introduced a one-year discounted DashPass plan for EBT recipients. You can get it for just $4.99 a month, with $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on eligible orders. They’ve also made it easier to comparison shop for items from different stores, too. 

Other Food Stamps News

Oklahomans affected by the storms that struck several counties from Nov 3-4 this year can apply for replacement SNAP benefits until December 2. Affected counties are Muskogee, Cleveland, Garvin, Lincoln, McClain, OKlahoma, Stephens, Adair and Logan Counties.  You can get help filling out the form by visiting the Oklahoma Human Services office or by calling (405) 522-5050. 

And if you know a hungry college student, please make sure to let them know about SNAP benefits. A recent Government Accountability Office report showed that only around 33% of eligible college students are getting SNAP benefits, which means that around 67% are missing out. 

Relief Recap

This is the December update from Low Income Relief. For more EBT news, please subscribe to our email list or our YouTube channel so you don’t miss another update!