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DHSS Press Release

Molly Magarik, Secretary
Jill Fredel, Director of Communications
302-255-9047, Cell 302-357-7498
Email: DPHMedia@Delaware.gov

Date: October 29, 2020
DHSS-10-2020

DELAWARE WILL ISSUE EMERGENCY BENEFITS FOR OCTOBER TO ELIGIBLE SNAP, TANF, AND GENERAL ASSISTANCE HOUSEHOLDS

NEW CASTLE (Oct. 29, 2020) - The Delaware Division of Social Services will issue emergency benefits for October to eligible households as part of the state's ongoing response to the COVID-19 public health crisis.

Benefits will be issued as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and two cash assistance programs - Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and General Assistance (GA). The SNAP emergency food benefit will be issued Oct. 29 and should be available on recipients' Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards on Oct. 30. TANF and GA households should receive an emergency cash benefit check on or after Oct. 29.

The emergency assistance will increase a household's monthly benefit for each program up to the maximum benefit amount for their household size (see tables below). Households that already receive the maximum benefit amount or that have a prorated benefit in the month of October are not eligible for the October emergency funds. Families who received Pandemic-EBT funds in September but who do not have an open food benefit case are also not eligible for emergency SNAP benefits. (Delaware issued P-EBT benefits to households with children who temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals when schools closed as a result of the pandemic.) Households already received their regular benefits for October on the usual issuance dates.

Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, which was signed into law in March, the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) has issued emergency benefits each month to any household not already receiving the maximum monthly benefit. "These additional benefits help ease the burden many households shoulder as the pandemic continues to impact public health," said Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Molly Magarik. "The assistance helps Delawareans who struggle to feed themselves and their families or who might be feeling the effects of losing a job."

Here are the maximum monthly benefit amounts per household size:

Emergency SNAP benefits

Number in SNAP Household	Maximum Benefit Amount
1	$204
2	$327
3	$535
4	680
5	$807
6	$969
7	$1,071
8	$1,224
Each additional person	$153

35,692 households are eligible to receive the emergency SNAP allotment in October, totaling about $7.1 million in emergency food benefits for the month.

Emergency cash benefits
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Number in GA Household	Maximum Benefit Amount
1	$201
2	$270
3	$338
4	407
5	$475
6	$544
7	$612
8	$681
9	$750
10	$819

General Assistance (GA)

Number in GA Household	Maximum Benefit Amount
1	$79
2	$107
3	$144
4	169
5	$209
6	$239

Across the state, 135 households are eligible to receive emergency cash assistance benefits in October, totaling about $16,200 in emergency benefits for the month.

For more information about DSS's benefit programs in response to the pandemic, go to https://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dss/covid19.html. To apply for benefits, go to https://assist.dhss.delaware.gov/ or call 1-866-843-7212. To limit the potential spread of COVID-19, clients are asked to contact the Division of Social Services by phone or online.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.

DELAWARE WILL ISSUE EMERGENCY BENEFITS FOR OCTOBER TO ELIGIBLE SNAP, TANF, AND GENERAL ASSISTANCE HOUSEHOLDS

Delaware's Government