The announcement comes as the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) reviews new federal guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding the possibility of providing partial SNAP benefits for the month of November.
Two-Pronged Approach for Emergency Relief
The state’s emergency plan is focused on delivering immediate aid through two key channels:
* Aid to Food Banks: The state has allocated $7 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to Ohio’s regional food banks, a move designed to strengthen the network families are increasingly relying on. The funds have already been transferred and are being distributed based on each food bank’s percentage of customers in the SNAP caseload.
* Targeted Relief for OWF Families: Up to $18 million in emergency relief benefits are being directed to more than 63,000 Ohioans who are recipients of Ohio Works First (OWF)—a program for extremely low-income families with children (at or below 50% of the federal poverty level).
The Governor’s plan for OWF recipients would effectively double the monthly benefit for these families should the federal shutdown continue through November. Recipients are set to receive their typical monthly OWF allotment, plus an additional weekly benefit equaling approximately 25% of their usual monthly allotment. The first installment of these emergency relief benefits was expected to be distributed by Friday, November 7th.
Partial Federal Benefits Still in Review
While the state pushes forward with its emergency plan, ODJFS continues to work with vendors to determine updated benefit amounts and distribution timelines for the partial federal SNAP payments. New federal guidance directs states to recalculate the monthly benefit amount for each household, effectively reducing the maximum allotment by half.
Governor DeWine has stressed that while the state’s $25 million commitment will provide critical support for the most vulnerable, it will not fully replace the over $264 million in monthly federal SNAP benefits that approximately 1.4 million Ohioans rely upon.
