New Mexico SNAP benefits accepted by state early for February

      Posted On: January 15, 2019

Double Up New Mexico shares:

“Due to the partial federal government shutdown, SNAP recipients have been in jeopardy of not receiving February’s benefits as deposits onto their EBT Cards. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) — SNAP’s funding agency — offered states a plan to ensure that SNAP beneficiaries received their benefits for the month of February without interruption, and without causing hardship to recipients, their families, or the retailers that rely on these sales to support their businesses.

The USDA offered states the option to receive an early payment for SNAP benefits, and New Mexico accepted this offer. New Mexicans who utilize the SNAP program will receive their SNAP assistance early (before January 20th). These may look like double payments to some beneficiaries, but they are February’s payments. The New Mexico Human Services Department has not indicated how they plan on handling new SNAP applicants in February.

Double Up Food Bucks will continue to operate as normal. Customers who make SNAP/EBT transactions will continue to receive the Double Up Food Bucks incentive, as long as they are using their EBT card and purchasing eligible produce. Keep in mind, however, that a customer must have funds on their card to make a SNAP transaction in order for the Double Up incentive to take place, so if funds are depleted from the EBT card, a customer will not receive the Double Up Food Bucks incentive. However, if a customer already has farmers’ market silver Double Up Food Bucks tokens, the tokens will be honored as usual at the farmers’ market from which the tokens were received.

For more information about the government shutdown and how it impacts the Double Up Food Bucks program, contact Program Manager Sarah Lucero.”