CINCINNATI — The first partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments are expected to begin in Ohio today as a legal fight continues in the U.S. Supreme Court and a political process continues to end the government shutdown.
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services announced Monday that it would start sending out payments up to 65% of a household’s normal maximum allotment as early as today.
Under revised federal calculations, though, nearly all recipients will receive less than that amount, with those near the cutoff for eligibility possibly receiving no benefits at all.
ODJFS said that all recipients who have not yet received their November benefit, along with those who were approved for paid benefits in October but didn’t receive them, will start to receive their partial benefits this week.
The legal fight
The department said that they are following federal guidance after the Trump Administration asked for and received an order from the Supreme Court blocking a lower court order.
The lower court order required the federal government to use emergency funds earmarked for the purpose to pay full SNAP benefits after the food assistance program was fully paused at the start of the month amid the government shutdown.
In response, the Trump administration has pushed the Supreme Court to allow full payments to remain frozen while the government is shut down, which the court granted late Friday, blocking the lower court order. The block was extended Tuesday until just before midnight on Thursday in a three-sentence order.
Ohio and food assistance
In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine issued an executive order directing ODJFS to send $25 million to food assistance efforts, including $7 million to regional food banks and $18 million to the state’s 63,000 Ohio Works First recipients.
In Hamilton County, 97,000 residents rely on SNAP, and 45% of those are children, Hamilton County officials said at the start of November.
Hamilton County commissioners voted hours before DeWine's executive order to provide $222,000 in American Rescue Plan funds to the Freestore Foodbank, the Greater Cincinnati region's largest food bank.
Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reece also told us she and other commissioners are looking into other potential temporary solutions.
She said that includes having the 513Relief Bus expand its route. The program delivers at-home resources and services to residents at no cost.
“This is all hands on deck," Reece said.
Reece said she encourages residents who want to have their voices heard to sign this petition that will be sent to leaders at the Statehouse.
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