Michael Dykes, president and CEO of IDFA, said IDFA is pleased with the move.
On Aug. 16, USDA released a re-evaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan, used to calculate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. As a result, the average SNAP benefit — excluding additional funds provided as part of pandemic relief — will increase for fiscal year 2022 beginning on Oct. 1, 2021.
As directed by Congress in the 2018 Farm Bill — and with the expressed support of President Biden’s Jan. 22 Executive Order — USDA conducted a data-driven review of the Thrifty Food Plan. The resulting cost adjustment is the first time the purchasing power of the plan has changed since it was first introduced in 1975, USDA said, reflecting notable shifts in the food marketplace and consumers’ circumstances over the past 45 years.