Extra SNAP benefits end in March

Since April 2020, Minnesota has issued additional SNAP benefits to households to help offset the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, the end has come for these extra SNAP benefits known as E-SNAP here in Minnesota.

The final month for E-SNAP payments in Minnesota will be March 2023. This means that all Minnesota SNAP recipients will lose the additional SNAP benefits they have received since the pandemic’s beginning.

What can I do?

There are a few things that SNAP participants can do to make sure they are maximizing their regular benefits:

Learn your new regular benefit amount – Since we’ve had E-SNAP for so long, regular calculated benefit amounts have been adjusted for the cost of living or if you are new to SNAP you may not know their regular benefit amount. There are a couple of ways to find the regular amount:
- Contact your county office – Financial workers have access to case information and can find the regular benefit amount. County offices are experiencing a high number of calls and processing a lot of applications, so prepare to wait on hold for quite some time. If you are able to check your benefits online (see above) it may be the faster way to figure out the regular benefit amount.
- Check the deposits online – SNAP account balances and transaction history can be checked online at https://www.ebtedge.com/gov/portal/PortalHome.do, on the EBT Edge app, or on the Providers app. The regular SNAP benefit amount is issued on the same day of each month according to this schedule:

If your case number ends in	SNAP is issued on
4	4^th of the month
5	5^th of the month
6	6^th of the month
7	7^th of the month
8	8^th of the month
9	9^th of the month
0	10^th of the month
1	11^th of the month
2	12^th of the month
3	13^th of the month

Stretch your SNAP dollars – Market Bucks can help triple your SNAP dollars at participating farmers markets. Every SNAP dollar you spend (up to $10 each visit) gets matched with $1 in Market Bucks and $1 in Produce Market Bucks. You can also stretch your SNAP dollars (and get Market Bucks) at the discount grocery program Fare for All.
Save your SNAP benefits – Your benefits stay on your EBT card for nine months, so you don’t have to spend them in the month they are issued. Save up your SNAP dollars for a special holiday or birthday meal. Or hang on to your winter deposits until you can use Market Bucks again at spring farmers markets.

Get the most benefits possible

Changes in your household expenses over the course of the pandemic may mean that you are eligible for more benefits. Make sure you are maximizing the deductions you are able to take to get the most benefits.

Our online SNAP screener can help calculate what your maximum benefit would be if you claim all of the available deductions for housing, utilities, child and dependent care, or medical care (if age 60 or older or if you have a disability).

If you find that you are likely eligible for a greater benefit amount than you are currently getting, complete a Change Report Form with your latest information. Submit the form and proof of the expenses (like a bill or receipt) to your county office. To make it easier for the county to process your information, be sure to submit everything all at one time.

If you have questions about the deductions and how to claim them, contact us at the Minnesota Food HelpLine at 888-711-1151 (call or text) or send us a message online.

What other help is available?

The loss of E-SNAP is huge. Even if you do everything you can to get the most benefits or to stretch your SNAP dollars as far as you can, it still may not be enough to meet all of your family’s food needs. There are other food resources and programs that can help you get the food you need:

Food shelf – Free groceries for anyone in need of help. Our Find Help Map can help you find a food shelf near you. Or if you need help, you can call the Minnesota Food HelpLine for assistance.
WIC – The Women, Infants, and Children program provides food to low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age 5. Visit health.state.mn.us/people/wic for more information.
NAPS – Free box of groceries for low-income seniors age 60 and over. Visit https://www.2harvest.org/get-help/csfpnaps for more information.
Meal programs – On-site meal programs and grab-and-go options to get a free meal. The Find Help Map can help find a program near you.

There are also other non-food programs that most SNAP users are eligible for that can help with other expenses:

Lifeline is a federal program that helps with discounted phone or internet service. (It’s also known as Telephone Assistance Program (TAP) here in Minnesota)
Energy Assistance pays toward heat, electricity and past due water bills.
Transit Assistance Program in the Twin Cities Metro – offers $1 rides on Metro Transit busses and trains
Amazon Prime discount gets you Prime for $6.99 per month. You can use your EBT card to buy groceries on Amazon?
Museum discounts

Need help finding a resource near you? Contact the Minnesota Food HelpLine at 888-711-1151 (call or text) or send us a message online.

Is there a way to keep getting the extra E-SNAP benefits?

No, this is a change in federal law that is ending the extra benefits. This is a change for all Minnesota SNAP households. Since this is a change in federal policy you will not be able to appeal the change.

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