Some SNAP benefits to go down due to increase in Social Security/veterans benefits

BATON ROUGE (KTAL/KMSS) – Some people who receive SNAP benefits in Louisiana are going to take a hit in 2021 due to a raise in benefits for Social Security recipients and veterans, according to the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.

A 1.3 percent federal cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to Social Security Retirement and Disability (RSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and veterans benefits for 2021 is the reason there will be some decreases to SNAP (also known as food stamps) benefits. The decreases also will affect benefits through the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP).

The COLA is an annual adjustment based on changes in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, as determined by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In January, 75,079 SNAP households (about 16 percent of all SNAP households in Louisiana) will see an average reduction of $7 in monthly benefits.

Another 118 SNAP cases will close, because the higher income will push those households over the limit. The COLA also will trigger reductions in benefits for 7 Louisiana households that receive FITAP.

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) receives an electronic file from the Social Security Administration that contains individual benefit amounts. Those income changes have been automatically updated on the SNAP and FITAP cases and will be effective January 2021.

For more information about SNAP, visit www.dcfs.la.gov/SNAP.

For more information about the federal COLA, visit the Social Security Administration at www.ssa.gov/cola and the Veterans Administration at www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/rates-index.asp#cola.