SNAP Benefits to Decrease for About One-Third of Louisiana Families in 2024

More than 130,000 Louisiana families will see their SNAP benefits decrease in January, according to the Department of Children and Family Services.

What's the reason for the reduction in benefits?

The reduction is due to a federal cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to Social Security and veterans benefits for 2024.

COLA is an annual adjustment calculated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics based on fluctuations in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers.

How much are Social Security benefits increasing in 2024?

Social Security benefits are expected to increase on average by over $50 a month while Supplemental Security benefits will bump up by $29.

Now, if those families also receive SNAP benefits, they can expect to see an average reduction of about $27 a month.

According to DCFS, this will affect about 33% of SNAP households in the state.

Families losing their SNAP benefits altogether.

Another 938 households will no longer receive SNAP benefits starting in 2024 because their incomes now exceed the eligibility limit, according to DCFS.

Additional help for those who need it.

Louisiana residents facing reduced benefits or seeing their benefits go away totally can find additional community-based resources, such as the Catholic Charities Food for Seniors program and Feeding Louisiana, at http://dcfs.la.fa.

For more information about SNAP, visit www.dcfs.la.gov/SNAP.