Local families relying on food support may see a drop in their benefits as 2024 ends, despite a small cost-of-living increase in SNAP benefits.
The state announced the SNAP increase in October and followed it with news of unexpected cuts to the Healthy Incentive Program in November.
HIP is the program where individuals and families who receive SNAP benefits can access refunds when they use their SNAP dollars to buy healthy, local fruits and vegetables from participating farm vendors.
As of Dec. 1, Massachusetts has decreased available Healthy Incentives Program funding for families of all sizes to $20 per month, down from $40, $60 or more.
Matt Dansereau, Outreach Coordinator at the Dartmouth Council on Aging and a board member for the Department of Transitional Assistance in New Bedford, said he heard about the HIP reductions through his DTA role. He believes the state didn’t quite expect just how much people would use the HIP program.
“So many people are enjoying the program. The state didn’t anticipate how popular it would be,” Dansereau said. “They had a choice to either cut it completely or cut it in half and hope to push for more funding.”
They chose to cut it in half, he said.
Dansereau expects the cut to have a big impact on people, even with the increase to SNAP dollars.
“It’s those clients that get that low SNAP and instead of getting $26 in SNAP dollars (every month) and $40 back (from HIP), now they’re only getting $20 back,” he said. “It’s like cutting it in half.”
It may only be a small amount of dollars, but for some people it makes a huge difference, he said.
The state explained the cuts on their website, by saying the governor requested $25 million for the fiscal year ‘25 budget but the final budget only provided $15 million.
“The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) worked with our partners at the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) to evaluate options to meet the $15 million budget that would cause the least disruption to clients and farmers,” the website reads. “Reducing the monthly HIP incentive to $20 was the only viable option to ensure the program could continue to operate year-round.”
Some HIP participants who use their refunds to participate in local Community Supported Agriculture programs, had to decide to continue with them or end their participation by a state-set date of Nov. 20.
“If you wish to continue participating in your Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, starting in December, you will be charged the amount you signed up for and will get up to $20 back in HIP instead of the $40, $60, or $80 you used to get,” the state’s website reads.
There is some hope that higher refunds may be brought back, according to Dansereau, who said the DTA loves the program and is pushing to find additional funding.
For more information on SNAP increases, see www.mass.gov/info-details/snap-cost-of-living-adjustments-cola. For information on HIP reductions, go to www.mass.gov/info-details/healthy-incentives-program-hip-benefit-change.In one of the largest veterans’ events in the South Coast, close to 200 people came together in Dartmouth in November, to thank, or be thanked, for their service.
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