In a move that offers a bit of seasonal solace, Governor Jeff Landry has announced that Louisiana's SNAP beneficiaries will now receive full federal nutritional assistance for November. Citing an act of proactive governance, Landry's administration provided state-funded aid to the elderly and disabled from November 1 to 4, supplementing halted federal funds due to the shutdown in Washington, according to the Office of the Governor.
The fortuitous timing means that, as the holidays inch closer, not only will SNAP recipients across the state see their expected benefits, but those early supplemental state funds will translate into a little extra for these specific groups. "When my team saw that Washington’s shutdown was about to leave our most vulnerable citizens without the help they depend on, we immediately got to work. Because we’ve been fiscally responsible here at home, we had the ability to step in and make sure folks didn’t go hungry," Gov. Landry stated on the Office of the Governor's website. The swift action by the state is intended to bridge the gap caused by federal gridlock.
This supplemental assistance came ahead of federal benefits, which have now been restored. SNAP — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — is a federal program that provides food-purchasing assistance for low and no-income people. It is a critical program for many families, especially during a time when the pandemic's economic effects continue to linger in communities.
The precise logistics of such a swift maneuver have yet to be detailed, but the beneficiary impact is clear. "That’s why we used state-funded assistance until the federal government got its act together. And now, not only is every Louisianian getting their full benefits—the elderly and disabled have got a little extra heading into the holidays," Landry explained. For a state that has seen its share of hardships, this news comes as a reprieve from the constant uncertainty that seems to shroud the nation's political machinery, as mentioned on the same news.
