Extra aid for Mass. residents receiving SNAP expected April 7

Hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts families receiving food aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will get extra payments of at least $38 this week, the Healey administration announced Friday.

Days after Gov. Maura Healey signed into law a spending bill to create an "offramp" for a now-expired federal enhancement to SNAP, the Department of Transitional Assistance announced the first payments will flow on Friday, April 7.

More than 650,000 households are in line for payments worth up to 40% of the enhanced federal benefits, with the minimum set at $38, DTA said.

The Legislature and Healey agreed to a $130 million plan that will provide heightened monthly SNAP benefits, but only for another three months, aiming to prevent Bay State families from a sharp and sudden decrease now that the federal expansion ended.

"SNAP is the first line of defense against hunger — and also supports our local grocery stores and farmers," Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh said.