Ohio announces $25M support for SNAP recipients

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio has announced the state will provide funding for some SNAP recipients as the government shutdown standoff shows no signs of ending.

In a statement, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Ohio Senate President Rob McColley, and Ohio Speaker of the House Matt Huffman announced the state will provide $25 million in food assistance ahead of the pause of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to the federal shutdown.

Facilitated through the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, $7 million will be distributed to food banks, and $18 million will go to 63,000 Ohioans at or below 50% of the federal poverty level as part of the Ohio Works First program.

Ohio Works First, funded through the Federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, assists low-income families who meet eligibility requirements, including having minor children in the home; participants take part in job training, education, and community service activities. The state says that among the 63,000 participants are 57,000 children.

In the statement, DeWine and Huffman pointed fingers at Congressional Democrats for the shutdown.

“The easiest and best way to help Ohioans in need of food assistance is for U.S. Senate Democrats to end its filibuster of SNAP benefits and other important federal programs and approve the clean continuing resolution passed by the U.S. House,” DeWine said in the statement.

Ohio currently has a "rainy day" fund estimated at $3.9 billion, the largest in the state's history. The fund is set aside to "protect the state budget from cyclical changes in revenues and expenses that may occur during poor economic times." The Ohio Senate was "forced to protect" the fund from being used to cover SNAP benefits during the shutdown.

According to the statement, Ohio Works First clients will receive their regular benefits on Nov. 1. Starting Nov. 7, they will also receive an additional weekly benefit equal to 1/4 of the monthly allotment.

Based on the state's estimates, approximately 1.4 million Ohioans receive $264 million in SNAP benefits each month. The average monthly SNAP benefit per person is about $190.

DeWine said that while not all SNAP recipients will receive benefits directly from the state, officials wanted to target the families who desperately needed help.

The shutdown, which started Oct. 1, has left federal employees furloughed, caused national flight delays, left small businesses unable to access loans, and put nonprofits in jeopardy; this weekend, on Nov. 1, SNAP and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) funding will stop, and open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act is set to begin, with enrollees seeing skyrocketing health insurance premiums.