The public health emergency declared by Gov. Tony Evers on July 30 enables the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to once again provide additional FoodShare benefits to eligible households. These benefits will help those Wisconsin families with the costs of food for July and August.
Under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Wisconsin is able to provide FoodShare recipients with the maximum monthly benefit amount that is based on the number of people in their household. The USDA Food and Nutrition Service allows emergency benefits to be provided to states with declared public health emergencies. Wisconsin families received emergency benefits in March, April, and May; however, because the state was no longer under a public health emergency, families did not receive additional benefits in June.
“The pandemic continues to affect all Wisconsinites, but especially those whose income has been negatively impacted,” said Julie Willems Van Dijk, deputy secretary of the Department of Health Services in a news release. “The ability for eligible households to access additional FoodShare benefits provides an important lifeline, and helps meet one of our most basic human needs.”
FoodShare households not currently receiving the maximum monthly benefit amount for their family size will receive additional benefits bringing them up to that level. The additional July benefits will be available on QUEST cards on Aug. 9, and the additional August benefits will be available on QUEST cards on Aug. 23.
Households will receive a letter notifying them of the additional benefits. Households already receiving the maximum amount will not receive additional benefits. The following is the maximum monthly benefit amount based on the number of people in the household:
People in the household Maximum monthly benefit amount 1 $ 194 2 $ 355 3 $ 509 4 $ 646 5 $ 768 6 $ 921 7 $1,018 8 $1,164 Each additional person Add $146
