SNAP benefits will be reduced and delayed in November

About 10% of Dartmouth’s population, or 3,343 recipients, will face delays and reduced benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, even after two federal judges ruled that the Trump administration must continue to pay for the program.

On Monday, Nov. 3, Trump announced about 50% of the SNAP benefits will be funded using the emergency reserve funding. This came after a federal ruling on Friday, Oct. 31 that the administration must fund the program despite the federal shutdown. 

Regardless of the funding, there will be delays in receiving benefits.

Millions of people across the country, including 46% of households in Bristol County, will still face delays in receiving SNAP benefits this month because it can take at least a week to reload cards.

“This is going to put a strain on many families, including our elderly and veteran population,” wrote Deloris Joseph, the Town of Dartmouth’s youth advocate. 

The SNAP benefit program offers a monthly stipend on an EBT card so people can afford food. The program gives people access to free nutrition education classes, school lunches and other resources. It benefits a lot of elderly people and children.

In Dartmouth, single people receive about $150 monthly, according to Matthew Danserea, the outreach coordinator at the Council on Aging. This means they will receive about $75 this month, which will leave people struggling with budgets. 

State funded programs will be continuing normally, including the Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children, Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children, and the Healthy Incentives Program. School meals will still be available. 

Any saved funds left in people’s SNAP accounts will still be accessible and usable during this lapse. 

The full HIP balance will be available for fruits and vegetables as long as recipients have a minimum of $0.01 in their SNAP accounts. 

The Council on Aging is a Department of Transitional Aid partner, and so can help anyone (regardless of age) with their SNAP accounts or finding aid. 

For those in need, there are local food pantries available including the following:

The Dartmouth Council on Aging pantry, which is open the last Tuesday of every month and helps those who are over 60, disabled and in emergencies, and is located at 628 Dartmouth Street. 

The Dartmouth YMCA has a drive through every Tuesday at 3 p.m., and is located at 279 Gulf Road. 

The Congregational Church of South Dartmouth holds a pantry the third Saturday of the month, and is located at 17 Middle Street. 

There will be meal sites daily in New Bedford that are open to the public for those in need, typically providing breakfast and lunch. 

Another option is to call or text Project Bread's FoodSource Hotline at 800-645-8333 to help navigate immediate hunger. The hotline is available Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

To help those in the community, residents can donate to the Congregational Church of South Dartmouth, the Dartmouth YMCA or the Dartmouth Council on Aging.