Pennsylvania is reminding residents of the availability of safety-net programs for those struggling to deal with food and health care expenses during the ongoing pandemic.
Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP has increased by nearly 100,000 residents over the past year or about 6%. SNAP can help families to purchase fresh food and other groceries.
Congress recently temporarily increased the SNAP maximum monthly benefit by 15% through June 30th and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation will no longer be counted as income for people applying for SNAP eligibility.
Healthcare is also another expense many people are dealing with and those who have lost coverage or are currently uninsured may qualify for Medicaid. Enrollment for this program has increased by over 10% in the past year with over 300,000 state residents joining Medicaid.
For more information on either of these programs, visit the local county assistance office or the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services website.
