Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

SNAP Recipients Confused About February Benefits

Jonathan Weiss, Shutterstock.com

Ohioans who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have been issued checks for February to ensure they don’t go without food during the partial federal shutdown. But some needy Ohioans mistakenly think they have to use those benefits now.

Bret Crow with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says, because of the shutdown, state agencies had to make February SNAP benefits available to recipients by January 20th. But he says some who receive those benefits are confused.

“For some reason, that has been twisted to SNAP recipients have to spend that by January 20th and that’s not true," Crow says.

Crow says SNAP recipients actually need to make those benefits last through the end of next month, since no food dollars will be added next month.  Because of the confusion, ODJFS has added a message to its automated phone system to remind recipients that these benefits are for February

Copyright 2019 The Statehouse News Bureau

Jo Ingles is a professional journalist who covers politics and Ohio government for the Ohio Public Radio and Television for the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau. She reports on issues of importance to Ohioans including education, legislation, politics, and life and death issues such as capital punishment.