BATON ROUGE - Those who supplement their grocery purchases with assistance from the federally funded food stamp program will notice an increase in their monthly allotment, according to a recent news release from the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). 

As of October 1, the Thrifty Food Plan's (TFP) adjustment is in effect.

DCFS says the increase is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) reevaluation of the TFP, which is used to set the amount of food assistance people participating in SNAP receive, to more accurately reflect the cost of a healthy diet.

"It's important that families have the means to be able to afford a healthy, balanced diet," said DCFS Assistant Secretary for Family Support Shavana Howard. "We know there are challenges in purchasing healthier items, but this adjustment will give SNAP participants the ability to access those healthier choices which will not only benefit them in terms of having food to eat, but will also benefit them through leading healthier lives."

For a familly of three in Louisiana, this will result in the maximum allotment of $535 per month increasing to a maximum of $658 a month. Overall in Louisiana, the average monthly SNAP benefit increase will be around $12 to $20 per person.

The reevaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan also slightly increases the max monthly gross income allowable under SNAP.

In August, Louisiana had 401,531 SNAP households accounting for 832,088 individuals, nearly half of whom - 369,742 - are under 18 years old. These households received a total $191,607,547 in SNAP benefits in August 2021.

USDA projects that total SNAP benefits issued for the upcoming fiscal year (FY22) will increase $435 million in Louisiana under the revised Thrifty Food Plan, leading to an estimated $670 million in additional economic impact for the state.

New SNAP household maximums are as follows:

Since January 2021, the maximum SNAP household allotment was increased by approximately 15 percent due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This increase expires in September 2021.

The Thrifty Food Plan is one of four food plans USDA develops that estimate the cost of a healthy diet across various price points - the Thrifty, Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost and Liberal Food Plans. The Thrifty Food Plan is the lowest cost of the four. It represents the cost of a nutritious, practical, cost-effective diet prepared at home for a family of four, which is defined in law as an adult male and female, ages 20-50, and two children, ages 6-8 and 9-11.

Due to the USDA's annual cost-of-living adjustment, the income limits and some deductions for SNAP are also changing, effective Oct. 1. The new income limits and maximum allotments can be found at www.dcfs.la.gov/snap-allotments.

Louisiana has received USDA approval for SNAP emergency allotments for October . The SNAP emergency allotments are scheduled to be loaded onto recipients’ EBT cards by October 10. New SNAP applicants will receive the supplements on a rolling weekly basis following approval of their cases.

SNAP recipients who are not already at the maximum amount will receive a supplement to bring them to the max, while recipients who are already at the max will receive a $95 supplement.

For more information about the SNAP program, including additional information on the upcoming changes to SNAP, visit www.dcfs.la.gov/SNAP.