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Maryland Adds More Food Benefits for Low-Income Families

January 6th, 2021 by WCBC Radio

Maryland has announced added benefits to help low-income families struggling financially during the pandemic to buy food. Gov. Larry Hogan announced that all Maryland recipients of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will receive an additional 15% increase in their total benefits this month due to recent federal legislation.

A household of four will see an increase in their maximum monthly benefit from $680 to $782, an additional $102 a month, for the next six months.

The governor says Temporary Cash Assistance families will receive an additional $40 million in benefits as part of the state's emergency economic relief measures.

That's equivalent to $100 per household member for each of the next six months.

The TCA program provides cash assistance to families with dependent children when available resources do not fully address their needs and prepares participants for independence through work.

Maryland has announced more than $700 million in emergency economic relief due to the pandemic. Hogan says he will be proposing more relief in the upcoming legislative session.