Oklahomans receiving SNAP food benefits will automatically receive their benefits March 1, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) announced this week.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are usually issued on the 1st, 5th and 10th days of each month.

Because of the federal government shutdown in January, staggered issuing was interrupted and SNAP benefits for February were issued early.

Thus customers had to make their SNAP benefits stretch for a longer time period than usual.

To reduce the number of days SNAP families have to stretch their food dollars, all SNAP benefits will be issued on March 1. Staggered SNAP issuance is expected to resume in April.

Retail grocery outlets statewide have been notified of the March 1 SNAP issuance. “Local supermarkets will keep products flowing and not encounter shortages for any period of time,” Ron Edgmon, President and CEO of the Oklahoma Grocers Association, said. “We have association members in every county in the state and we work diligently, along with our wholesalers and the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, to make sure the consumer has fresh safe food on the counters when shopping at their local stores.”

About SNAP

SNAP benefits are 100 percent federally funded. Benefits are loaded onto Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards that can only be used at USDA-approved grocery retailers. In SFY 2018, more than 800,000 Oklahomans received SNAP benefits. Most were children, seniors and people with disabilities, including disabled veterans. More than $844 million worth of food was purchased in Oklahoma by SNAP customers at more than 3,500 retail grocery outlets statewide, including large retailers and small grocery stores in rural communities.

Quick Facts about SNAP – State Fiscal Year 2018

$4.00 - Average daily benefit per person $1.33 - Average benefit per meal 37% - of households had an elderly or disabled member in the house 48% - of households had children younger than 18 in the home 27% - of households had one working adult in the home $1,242 – Average monthly income for households with earnings