State food stamp dispersal to change

Earlier this year, the Indiana General Assembly passed a law to change the dispersal dates of the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Plan benefits, also known as food stamps.

The changes go into effect Jan. 1, and Indiana’s Department of Family and Social Services is working to inform the 926,000 people who receive SNAP benefits in Indiana.

“The law was passed by general assembly earlier this year, but it’s the FSSA’s job to implement the changes,” said Marni Lemons, deputy director of communications and media at FSSA.

Lemons said the change should spread demand over the entire month.
 
“Under the previous dispersal schedule, SNAP recipients were receiving their benefits in the first 10 days of the month,” Lemons said. “So demand was really high at the beginning of the month, but not so high the rest of the month.”

The new schedule will disperse benefits to households beginning on the fifth of each month and continuing on odd numbered days until the 23rd.

To ease the transition, FSSA is dispersing half of the SNAP benefits on the recipients’ old dispersal date and half on the new date for the month of
January only.

Follow reporter Brianna Meyer on Twitter @brimmeyer.