Will Pennsylvania food stamps recipients receive extra SNAP benefits for February 2023? The state of Pennsylvania was approved by the USDA for extra SNAP EBT maximum benefits in February. In this post, we will provide the release dates for Extra SNAP Benefits for Pennsylvania for February 2023.
In addition, if you have not received your benefits for December 2022, we have also provided the release dates below.
The extra food stamps are part of the Emergency Allotment (EA) Program. SNAP EBT cardholders will receive the maximum benefit amount for their household size.
If you want to know how much in extra SNAP benefits you can expect in February 2023 and when you’ll receive them, then continue reading below.
Additionally, we will cover the new increase to the Pennsylvania food stamps that went into effect for 2023.
BREAKING NEWS: The Pennsylvania Extra Food Stamps Program will be ending March 1, 2023. That means February 2023 will be your last month to receive extra food stamp benefits. To learn more, read this article here.
Table of Contents
- What are Emergency Allotment benefits?
- Who qualifies for extra SNAP benefits?
- How much extra food stamps will I receive?
- When you’ll receive your Extra Food Stamps in Pennsylvania
- Extra Food Stamps for Pennsylvania – February 2023
- Extra Food Stamps for Pennsylvania – January 2023
- Pennsylvania Food Stamps to increase by 12.5%
- Target to Start accepting SNAP EBT online
- What Grocery Stores Accept Pennsylvania EBT Online for Delivery?
What are Emergency Allotment benefits?
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act authorized emergency SNAP benefits because of COVID-19. These are also called Extra food stamps.
EA benefits are part of the Pandemic Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as P-SNAP.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approves requests from states for the extra food stamps benefits on a month-by-month basis.
The USDA approves the requests based on a public health emergency declaration by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act related to an outbreak of COVID-19 when a state has also issued an emergency or disaster declaration.
We will update this post each month to reflect the extra food stamps that were approved for the month.
Who qualifies for extra Pennsylvania SNAP benefits?
Any household that is currently receiving SNAP benefits qualifies for extra food stamp Emergency Allotment (EA) benefits.
There is no extra paperwork to turn in to get the extra SNAP benefits.
It will simply be added to your EBT card, and you’ll be able to use it just like regular Pennsylvania SNAP benefits.
In addition, any household that is approved for SNAP EBT in a month when EA benefits are issued will also qualify to receive extra food stamp benefits.
To find out how much you can expect to receive in extra SNAP benefits, continue reading below.
How Much will you get in Extra Food Stamps Benefits?
According to the USDA, The extra food stamps you will receive are the difference between the SNAP household’s maximum benefit for the household size.
However, all households receive extra food stamps of at least $95.
Also, those households currently receiving $95 or more will continue to receive that
same amount. There will be no change in extra benefits for these households.
Additionally, those households receiving the maximum base SNAP benefit for their household size at the current temporary level of 115 percent will receive extra benefits of $95 per month.
Lastly, those households with a calculated extra food stamps benefit amount less than $95 will receive extra benefits totaling $95 per month.
The maximum SNAP allotment for your household size for October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023 is as follows:
| Maximum SNAP Benefit Amount by Household Size for Pennsylvania | |
| Effective October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023 | |
| Household Size | Maximum SNAP Benefit Allotment |
| 1 | $281 |
| 2 | $516 |
| 3 | $740 |
| 4 | $939 |
| 5 | $1,116 |
| 6 | $1,339 |
| 7 | $1,480 |
| 8 | $1,691 |
| Each Additional Household Member: | +$211 per person |
Extra Food Stamps for Pennsylvania – February 2023
To find out when you can expect to receive your Emergency Allotment EA benefits on your Pennsylvania SNAP EBT Card for February 2023, see below.
When will I receive my extra food stamp benefits for February 2023?
Pennsylvania has been approved for emergency allotments for the month of February 2023.
The payments will be issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS).
February Extra Allotment (EA) benefits will be issued according to the following schedule below:
For February 2023, Pennsylvania Extra Food Stamps Benefits will be paid on the following dates:
- Wednesday, February 15, 2023
- Thursday, February 16, 2023
- Friday, February 17, 2023
- Saturday, February 18, 2023
- Wednesday, February 22, 2023
- Thursday, February 23, 2023
- Friday, February 24, 2023
- Saturday, February 25, 2023
- Tuesday, February 28, 2023
- Wednesday, March 1, 2023
In addition, there will be clean-up issuances on Friday, April 7th.
The scheduled clean-up is for any eligible PA SNAP households that did not receive their extra benefits on March 1st.
The number of Pennsylvania households that are eligible for benefits for February 2023 is 1,042,615.
The state will receive $193,910,909 in extra food stamps emergency allotments for the month.
Extra Food Stamps for Pennsylvania – January 2023
To find out when should have received your Emergency Allotment EA benefits on your Pennsylvania SNAP EBT Card for January 2023, see below.
When were the extra food stamp benefits for January 2023 sent out?
Pennsylvania was approved for emergency allotments for the month of January 2023.
The payments were issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS).
January Extra Allotment (EA) benefits were issued according to the following schedule below:
For January 2023, Pennsylvania Extra Food Stamps Benefits were paid on the following dates:
- Wednesday, January 18, 2023
- Thursday, January 19, 2023
- Friday, January 20, 2023
- Saturday, January 21, 2023
- Tuesday, January 24, 2023
- Wednesday, January 25, 2023
- Thursday, January 26, 2023
- Friday, January 27, 2023
- Saturday, January 29, 2023
- Tuesday, January 31, 2023
In addition, there will be clean-up issuances on Friday, March 10th.
The scheduled clean-up is for any eligible PA SNAP households that did not receive their extra benefits on January 30th.
The number of Pennsylvania households that were eligible for benefits in January 2023 is 1,037,201.
The state received $189,698,186 in extra food stamps emergency allotments for the month.
For more information, read our article on the Extra PA SNAP Benefits for January 2023.
Pennsylvania Food Stamps Increase for 2023
Important news for Pennsylvania SNAP EBT recipients:
In September 2022, the USDA announced that on October 1st, food stamp benefits would be increasing by 12.5%.
This is an effort to mitigate the rising prices of food and grocery items due to inflation.
Inflation has had a significant impact on low income families that rely on monthly food assistance.
In fact, the average cost of groceries has risen 12.2 percent in the last 12 months. That’s the largest 12-month increase since April 1979.
The Pennsylvania food stamp benefits increase on October 1st will help low income households better meet their food needs.
How much of an increase will I get in food stamps?
On average, Pennsylvania food stamp recipients will receive an additional $27 in monthly benefits per person.
With that said, the average SNAP recipient can expect to receive an increase in benefits similar to the example highlighted below.
For a household of three:
Current Average Monthly SNAP Benefits: $658
New Average Monthly SNAP Benefits: $740
That’s a $82 increase in SNAP EBT benefits in for fiscal year 2023.
To learn more about increase happening to SNAP benefits, read this article on the Food Stamps Increase for October 2022.
Food Stamps Income Limit Increased for Fiscal Year 2023
Along with the increase in Maximum Allotment benefits for SNAP households, the food stamps income limit also increased on October 1, 2022.
This change is part of the USDA yearly cost-of-living increase to the food stamps program. They are responsible for setting the Income Eligibility Standard for SNAP.
If you are currently receiving Pennsylvania food stamps, you must meet the new income limit to continue receiving benefits.
In addition, if you are applying or renewing your food stamp benefits, you are required to meet these eligibility requirements.
The income test is required for all households, unless your household is already receiving cash assistance benefits from the federal government or your state.
The Food Stamps Income Limit for 2022-2023 is based on your household’s total income and size.
To see the new Pennsylvania Food Stamps income limit for fiscal year 2023, use the chart below:
| Pennsylvania SNAP Income Eligibility Standards for Fiscal Year 2023 | ||
| Effective October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023 | ||
| Household Size | Monthly Net Income (100% of FPL) |
Monthly Gross Income (130% of FPL)
|
| 1 | $1,133 | $1,473 |
| 2 | $1,526 | $1,984 |
| 3 | $1,920 | $2,495 |
| 4 | $2,313 | $3,007 |
| 5 | $2,706 | $3,518 |
| 6 | $3,100 | $4,029 |
| 7 | $3,493 | $4,541 |
| 8 | $3,886 | $5,052 |
| Each Additional Household Member: | +$394 | +$512 |
What Fast Food Places Take Pennsylvania EBT/Food Stamps/SNAP?
The Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) is a federal program that enables qualified elderly, disabled, and homeless food stamps recipients to buy food at authorized restaurants. Any state or county can enroll in the Restaurant Meals Program.
The purpose of the program is to help expand food access to those who do not have a place to store and cook food, who may not be able to prepare food or who don’t have access to a grocery store.
Not all states participate in the RMP.
Currently, the Restaurant Meal Program is running in the following states:
- California
- Arizona
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Michigan
- New York
- Rhode Island
In the state of Pennsylvania, some restaurants accept Food Stamp benefits from some homeless, elderly, or disabled people in exchange for low-cost meals.
Contact your County Assistance Office for a list of these restaurants.
Wegmans Now Accepts SNAP EBT via Instacart
According to PYMNTS.com, Instacart is teaming up with Wegmans Food Markets to accept EBT SNAP for online purchases.
East Coast SNAP EBT customers will now be able to use their benefits online at Wegmans.
This applies to 106 Wegmans stores in:
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- North Carolina
SNAP EBT customers will be able to use their food stamps benefits to shop through Instacart and choose between same-day delivery and pickup.
With the addition of Wegmans, Instacart now powers EBT SNAP payments for more than 60 retailers across 39 states and Washington, DC.
What Grocery Stores Accept Pennsylvania EBT Online for Delivery?
As of February 2023, Pennsylvania EBT Cardholders can use their food stamps to shop online at 25 different grocery store chains.
Currently, you can use your Pennsylvania EBT card to make purchases online at the following grocery stores:
- ACME
- ALDI
- Amazon
- BJs Wholesale Club
- Burkholder’s Market
-
Cottman Food Market
-
Dave’s Super Duper
- Giant Company, LLC
- Giant Eagle
- Lake Region IGA
- Martin’s
- Mignosi’s Super Foodtown
- Price Chopper Supermarkets
- Price Rite
- Sam’s Club Scan and Go
- ShopRite
- Sprouts Farmers Market
- Stuffers of Kissel Hill
- Target
- TheFreshGrocer
- Tops Market
- Walmart
- Wegmans
- Weis Markets
- Whole Foods
As you can see above, you can purchase groceries online for home delivery using your Pennsylvania EBT card at Amazon and Walmart.
Extra Food Stamps for Pennsylvania – February 2023 Summary
Here’s what you need to know about Extra Food Stamps for Pennsylvania – February 2023:
Extra Food Stamps Benefits for February will be paid from Wednesday, February 15th – Wednesday, March 1st.
There will be clean-up issuances on Friday, April 7th.
The Pennsylvania Extra Food Stamps Program will be ending March 1, 2023. That means that February 2023 will be your last month to receive extra food stamp benefits.
To learn more, read this article here.
Questions?
If you have further questions about Pennsylvania SNAP or EBT in general, please let us know in the comments section below.
Be sure to check out our other articles about SNAP and EBT, including:
- Does ALDI Take EBT in Pennsylvania?
- Stores that accept EBT online in Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania SNAP Benefits FAQs
- How to Create COMPASS Online Account
- My COMPASS Account Login
- Pennsylvania EBT Phone Number
- Low Income Free Internet Discount for PA EBT