ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan on Wednesday announced that all Maryland SNAP recipients will receive an additional 15% increase in their total benefits beginning this month due to recent federal legislation. In addition, as part of the state’s emergency economic relief measures, Maryland’s Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) families will receive an additional $40 million in benefits

“These increased benefits come at a critical time for Marylanders struggling financially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Governor Hogan. “However, more still needs to be done, including by Congress, to help our economy and our workforce. In Maryland, we have announced more than $700 million in emergency economic relief, and before the General Assembly returns to work for the 2021 session, we will be proposing a larger economic and stimulus relief package to provide further support to our families and small businesses.”

The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps low-income households buy the food they need. In Maryland, a household of four will see an increase in their maximum monthly benefit from $680 to $782, an additional $102 per month, for the next six months. This will significantly increase their food purchasing ability and help families hardest hit by the pandemic put food on their tables.

As part of the governor’s most recent additions to the Maryland Strong emergency economic relief package, TCA families will receive an additional $40 million in benefits, 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. These additional benefits will become available on each eligible household’s Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) account on their standard benefit issuance date.

“This is a very significant benefit assistance to our families and comes at a time when the need for assistance has reached record levels,” said Lourdes R. Padilla, Secretary of the Department of Human Services. “Such revised assistance allows DHS to address our constituents’ needs and reminds our most vulnerable that we, in steadfast partnership with the governor and the USDA, will continue to work to resolve their burdens.”

Marylanders can learn more, apply for programs and services such as SNAP and TCA, and check the status of applications online or by calling the DHS Customer Call Center at 1-800-332-6347.