Good News for Oregon Food Stamp Recipients

More than 440,000 Oregonians receive food stamp benefits each month.

Salem-News.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - This month 228,000 Oregon households that receive food stamps also will receive good news: Their annual benefits will increase and the ceiling on earnings to qualify will rise.

For an individual receiving the maximum benefit, the monthly payment will increase by $7, from $155 to $162. Individuals can earn up to $1,107 in gross income, compared with $1,062 before October 1st.

For a family of four receiving the maximum benefit, the payment increases by $24, from $518 a month to $542. The maximum gross monthly income families can earn to qualify for food stamps rises from $2,167 to $2,238.

The Oregon Department of Human Services manages the federal food stamp program in Oregon as part of the agency's services to deliver high-quality nutrition to low-income families and to support families moving from welfare to work.

The federal government, which finances the food stamp program, revises food stamp payments annually to reflect changes in food, housing and other costs. The average amount of food stamps received by an Oregon household before October 1st was about $175.

More than 440,000 Oregonians receive food stamp benefits each month. In September, the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded Oregon a $1.7 million performance bonus for its success in providing food stamps to a high percentage of people who are eligible for food assistance. The USDA estimates Oregon has reached nearly 68 percent of eligible individuals, an extremely high rate nationally.

Source: Oregon DHS