Delaware sees partial federal funding for SNAP

WILMINGTON— With the federal government still shut down, Delaware has followed through on its promise to use state funds for thousands of residents taking part in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture was expected to partially fund the federal food program that millions of Americans, including 120,000 Delawareans, use to buy groceries.

The agency first told states it would issue 50% of the maximum benefit, though that was later revised to 65%.

In Delaware, the 59,000 households that rely on SNAP collectively received $11.4 million in benefits. The Meyer administration confirmed that the state also spent $5.6 million last week on the program, or 25% of the funding needed, for a new program “First State Food Relief Fund