An article recently in the OBSERVER was headlined, “More benefits for low income families on the way from SNAP.”

The article stated: The State of New York and the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is making more than $ 100 million in additional emergency food assistance to help New Yorkers to avoid food insecurity during the COVID 19 pandemic. About 700,000 low income individuals and families enrolled in the SNAP program will receive additional food benefits this month to bring them up to the maximum allowable amount for October. “These added food benefits are helping individuals and families avoid food insecurity at a time when so many are contending with unemployment and household budgets that have been stretched to the breaking point,” said Mike Hein, OTDA Commissioner.

He stated that we will then continue to look for ways to maximize federal dollars in order to reduce food insecurity and bring assistance to those in need. This is administered by OTDA. The emergency assistance is issued to any SNAP household that does not ordinarily receive the maximum allowable benefit per month, which varies by household that does not ordinarily receive the maximum allowable benefit per month and is $204 per month per individual and $680 for a family of four.

About half of the households receiving SNAP will receive additional benefits for the month of October. This will mark the eighth consecutive month all SNAP recipients in New York state have received the maximum benefit under the direction of Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

OTDA submitted the plan to provide supplemental payments. Since that time, $700 million in additional benefits have been distributed. In addition, an average of about $145 per household each month.

This increase in benefits is fine for the people who are receiving these new benefits from loss of work, but that is not the case for most who have been receiving these benefits forever. That will never change as long as liberals in Albany are giving hard-working taxpayers’ money away like candy.

Richard Makuch is a Dunkirk resident.