FACT 84 (Emergency Allotments in Response to COVID-19)
Food Assistance Change Transmittal No. 84
April 20, 2021
TO: All Food Assistance Manual Holders
FROM: Matt Damschroder, Interim Director
SUBJECT: Emergency Allotments in Response to COVID-19

Background:

On March 9, 2020 Governor Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency for the entire state of Ohio (Executive Order 2020-01D) to protect the well-being of the citizens of Ohio from COVID-19.  In order to protect the lives, safety and health of Ohio’s citizens, various orders have been issued from the Governor and the Ohio Department of Health to limit social interaction. Additionally, on March 13, 2020, President Trump declared a national state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Public Law 116-127) became law on March 18, 2020 and allowed states to request emergency allotments (EA) “for households participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance program… to address temporary food needs.” Guidance from the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) said “a household’s EA cannot increase the current monthly household SNAP benefit allotment beyond the applicable maximum monthly allotment for the household size.” Accordingly, SNAP households that had already received the maximum monthly allotment for their household size were not eligible for EA.

As part of this effort, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) received approval from FNS to issue EAs to assistance groups (AG) beginning March 2020 and ongoing until such a time as either the federal public health emergency declaration is rescinded or Ohio’s state of emergency ends. 

Update:

Under new guidance from FNS issued April 1, 2021, EA benefits can now be provided to AGs eligible for and receiving the maximum SNAP benefits.  All AGs will continue to receive the maximum allotment; however, a $95 “base amount” for EAs has been established for emergency allotments issued as of April 2021.

AGs who are already eligible for the maximum allotment will now receive an additional $95 per month. Those AGs whose EA payments bring them up to the maximum allotment, but the EA does not total $95, will receive the additional amount that would make the total EA issuance $95.  EA payments will not change for AGs whose EA payment brought them up to the maximum allotment and the EA was $95 or more.

Examples:  

a.)An AG’s allotment is $130, and the maximum allotment is $234. The EA amount to bring the AG up to the maximum allotment is $104. Since the EA allotment of $104 is more than $95, no additional EA is issued.

b.)An AG is eligible for the maximum allotment of $234. This AG will receive an additional $95.

c.)An AG’s allotment is $150. Maximum allotment is $234. The EA amount to bring this AG up to the maximum allotment is $84. Since the EA allotment of $84 is less than $95, this AG will receive an additional $11 to bring them up to the EA “base amount” of $95.

Implementation:

April 2021:

ODJFS ran the EA supplement file on 4/15/2021, which included the $95 base amounts.  

  • If a benefit is generated for April after the mass supplement file on 4/15/2021, please Save and Accept for the appropriate amount so the recipient receives the correct notice with their certification period.
  • Then the worker must request the supplement the following day for the difference, bringing the AG up to the maximum allotment for April.  If the EA amount is less than $95, the worker must calculate the amount that would make the EA equal to $95 and authorize the supplement. 
  • NOTE: If you save and accept the ongoing benefit and the supplement on the same day, only the supplemental benefit will be issued.

May 2021 and ongoing:

ODJFS will calculate the EA amounts based on the new guidance and EAs will be issued via a mass supplement file as they have been.

County agencies will be responsible for ensuring the AG receives the maximum allotment if benefits are generated after the mass supplement file has been run each month.  

  • If a benefit is generated after the mass supplement file was generated, please Save and Accept for the appropriate amount so the recipient receives the correct notice with their certification period.
  • Then the worker must request the supplement the following day for the difference bringing the AG up to the maximum allotment. If the EA amount is less than $95, the worker must calculate the amount that would make the EA equal to $95 and authorize the supplement.   
  • NOTE: If you save and accept the ongoing benefit and the supplement on the same day, only the supplemental benefit will be issued.

If you have any questions regarding any of these changes please contact Program Policy Service at TANF-FSTA@jfs.ohio.gov.