Hundreds of Thousands More Marylanders Turned to SNAP Benefits to Eat During Pandemic

Maryland residents’ enrollment in federal food assistance programs has increased sharply since the COVID-19 pandemic started in March, according to a report that Maryland Hunger Solutions released Wednesday. The report shows a 400% increase in federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, applicants among Marylanders in April following the slew of pandemic-related business and school closures in March. Baltimore City, alone, witnessed a 600% jump.

“To a large extent, SNAP applications track both the overall poverty in the state, as well as the ups and downs in the economy,” Michael J. Wilson, the director of Maryland Hunger Solutions, told Maryland Matters in a phone interview Thursday afternoon. SNAP gives benefits to low-income families to purchase food. Recipients who apply must meet specific requirements, including income limits and citizenship, to get program benefits.

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Source: Maryland Matters