Virginia SNAP Substitute to Roll Out Weekly Through November
Virginia's budget surplus will fund a state-level replacement for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) if the federal government shutdown continues into November, announced Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
The new program, dubbed Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance (VENA), will send money to SNAP beneficiaries' Electronic Benefit Transfer cards starting in November. SNAP typically helps low-income earners and those unable to work afford groceries.
The Department of Agriculture, which oversees the program, has instructed states to pause payments until further notice, starting in November. The federal government has been shut down since the beginning of October due to Congress' failure to agree on annual appropriations bills.
- VENA's payments will roll out in weekly waves every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
- The program will follow SNAP's model, disbursing funds to a third of beneficiaries each time.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance program to support low-income individuals.
Author's summary: Virginia introduces VENA to support low-income individuals during the federal shutdown.