SNAP Benefit Levels Updated

For the first time since 2006, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has revised the “Thrifty Food Plan” used to calculate baseline SNAP (known in Vermont as 3SquaresVT) benefits and will now be updating every five years moving forward.

This update is significantly different from previous versions. It is the first time that the food plan update has not been required to be cost neutral to the 1975 baseline year. This new flexibility means that USDA could adjust to reflect changing guidance around nutrition and the changing relative price structure of the U.S. food market, in which a healthy diet can be significantly more expensive. Instead, the 2018 Farm Bill directed the USDA to focus on 4 factors: dietary guidance, actual consumption patterns, food composition data, and current food prices.

As a result of the new calculations, SNAP benefits will increase by an average of 21%.

For details on the Thrifty Food Plan, the updated calculations, and supporting reports on SNAP participation and barriers to participation, the USDA has posted this press release with related links.

For information on work to support SNAP / 3SquaresVT enrollment, check out these resources from our partner Hunger Free Vermont.

This Washington Post article explains how this permanent change, rooted in the 2018 Farm Bill, interacts with pandemic-time temporary food support programs.