by Chloe Eberhardt

This post includes important updates on the continued impact on SNAP from the recent federal government shutdown.

1. 1. The Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) will be issuing March SNAP benefits on Friday, March 1st for all SNAP recipients. This means that households that would normally receive their SNAP benefits on March 2nd-9th, will receive them slightly early on the 1st. In Oregon, SNAP benefits are normally issued the 1st-9th of the month according to the recipient’s last digit of their Social Security number. Just like all normal SNAP payments, these SNAP benefits do not expire and will remain on the card until the household uses it. DHS will be mailing a letter to all clients about this. Additionally, here is a press release from DHS.
   2. The March 1st issuance of SNAP benefits is in response to February SNAP benefits being issued early on January 18th because of the federal government shutdown. The early issuance of February SNAP benefits meant Oregon SNAP recipients would have had a gap of 42-50 days before receiving their March SNAP benefits if those benefits were issued on a regular schedule. As of now, April SNAP benefits will be issued on the regular schedule.

3. Here is a flier in English explaining the schedule for SNAP benefits in February, March, and April. This flier are available in multiple languages below. Please distribute this information widely with your networks and with SNAP households.
4. DHS is operating normally and their offices are open. For those who need to take action on their SNAP case in February or March (such as Interim Change Report or Recertification), please complete those actions on your regular schedule, these are being processed as normal. New applications are being accepted and processed normally. If a SNAP household does not receive benefits on March 1st and believes they should, please contact their local office, find office locations and phone numbers here.
5. Resources:

• English flier about SNAP benefits for February, March, and April
• Flier about benefits for February, March, and April in Spanish, Somali, Swahili, Russian, Vietnamese, Korean, Arabic, Farsi, Nepali, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese
• Letter from DHS on March and April benefits
• Press release from DHS on March SNAP benefits
• DHS offices are open with normal hours. Find office locations here.
• For additional food resources, please call 2-1-1 or find a food pantry here.
• Problems with your SNAP case? Call the Public Benefits Hotline of Legal Aid Service of Oregon: 1-800-520-5292
• Details on early issuance of February SNAP benefits

Early issuance of February SNAP benefits and worries about a prolonged government shutdown led to a lot of confusion, misinformation, and fear for SNAP households. Please help spread the word about the changes in the SNAP issuance schedule so that SNAP households know what is happening and can make decisions for themselves and their families with the most up to date information available. Thank you!

Please feel free to contact Chloe at Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon with any questions.