ALLEN COUNTY, OH (WLIO) - Food stamp benefits are set to be scaled back to pre-pandemic levels, which could signal a return to the workforce.
According to Allen County Job and Family Services, increased benefits that were implemented during the pandemic will soon be rolling back to the average monthly amount starting at the end of February 2023. The change is coming not only to Allen County but nationwide. Some people were reportedly getting up to $400 in food stamp benefits, but that number will slowly be scaled back to the normal amount of less than $100.
"So what this unwinding's going to do is that it will put you back to your normal allotment, so people are going to see a substantial drop in their food stamp benefits from what they were getting before. But the good news for that in Allen County is that we do have over 2,700 job openings right now. So we are able to help get people re-engaged in to the workforce. Hopefully, that is helpful to them, and I know that our employers are ready to welcome people back to work, so excited about that part of it," explained Joe Patton, Allen County Job and Family Services.
And even if an announcement were to come on pandemic extensions, that would not affect the food stamp benefits from being scaled back
"If you do see that they extended the pandemic on the news, which I did see yesterday that the president is extending it, that does not affect this. This unwinding is still happening based on the financial decision that the Biden Administration made on this," added Patton.
Those who are looking to get back into the workforce can go to Ohio Means Jobs to find a variety of openings in the local area.
Edit/Correction - Corrected the organization to Allen County Job and Family Services, not Ohio Means Jobs Allen County.
