This story is part of our Quick Hits series. This series will bring you breaking news and short updates from throughout the state.
Wyoming Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits could start hitting accounts as soon as Friday, Nov. 14, according to a Thursday late afternoon Wyoming Department of Family Services (DFS) press release.
SNAP benefits typically would’ve gone out at the start of the month, but were stopped because of the federal government shutdown. Now that the government is beginning to reopen, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed the program will be resumed.
Wyoming recipients will receive their full November amount. While it should hit EBT cards Friday, DFS recommends checking the account beforehand by calling 1-877-290-9401 or visiting the ebtEdge website.
On Oct. 31, Gov. Mark Gordon declared a public welfare emergency when it became clear federal funds for SNAP were in limbo. He authorized the state to spend up to $10 million to make sure Wyomingites continued to have access to food. As of earlier this week, Wyoming had distributed about $1.2 million to food pantries across the state.
According to Wyoming DFS Public Information Officer Kelly Douglas, an average of 28,364 people accessed SNAP in Wyoming each month last fiscal year, with an average monthly payment of about $185 per person.
Meanwhile, another DFS program is still on hold. The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) has yet to be refunded by federal lawmakers. Wyomingites can still apply in the meantime for when money becomes available.
LIEAP officially ran out of money Oct. 15 because of the shutdown. Douglas said 1,168 Wyomingites were approved for assistance to warm their houses using $1.1 million rolled over from DFS’s budget from last year. Last winter, LIEAP helped out 8,236 Wyoming households. Douglas said she expected possibly more this year.
Douglas said if LIEAP can’t help, people should contact their utility company for reduced rate programs, call Wyoming’s free resource line at 211, or reach out to Energy Share of Wyoming, a nonprofit that helps people with energy-related emergencies.
