ELMIRA, NY (WIVT/WBGH) – According to the Food Bank of the Southern Tier, SNAP recipients in the Southern Tier will see a reduction in benefits as of February 28th.

Since March 2020, Congress increased SNAP benefits because of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the end of February, that Emergency Allotment (EA) funding is coming to an end.

According to the Food Bank, the average SNAP using household in New York State will lose $151.

To combat this loss, the Food Bank will increase the number of available spots for its Mobile Food Pantries by about 300 families for the foreseeable future.

You can sign up to visit a Mobile Food Pantry here.

The Food Bank of the Southern Tier believes that the SNAP increase was beneficial and will push local legislators to bring it back.

“SNAP is the nation’s first line of defense against hunger, and we urge our legislators to listen
to and learn from those who have greatly benefited from the additional SNAP benefits
throughout the pandemic,” said Vice President of Community Impact Randi Quackenbush. “These funds are spent directly in communities, and for each $1 in SNAP, over $1.70 is generated in local economic activity.”