Some Louisiana Residents to See Reduction in Some Benefits Due to Cost of Living Adjustment of Social Security and Veterans Benefits

Louisiana – Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services has announced that some state residents will see a reduction in Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP), Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP), and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in 2023 due to a federal cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to Social Security and veterans benefits.

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services announced on December 15, 2022, that benefits under the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP), Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP), and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, will decrease for some Louisiana residents in 2023 due to a federal cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to Social Security and veterans benefits.

The COLA is a yearly adjustment determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics based on changes in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers.

Social Security Retirement, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (RSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and certain Veterans Administration (VA) payouts will increase by 8.7% per month as a result of the 2023 COLA. The average monthly income for Social Security claimants will rise from $1,680 to $1,827, an increase of about $140 per month. The maximum monthly benefit amount for SSI claimants is also increasing by $73, from $841 in 2022 to $914 in 2023. Since 1981, when payments were increased by 11.2%, this is the largest change in over four decades. For some Louisiana households, the increase in income induced by the COLA will affect eligibility and federal benefit amounts.

As a result of the COLA hike, 145,330 SNAP households (about 34% of all SNAP households in Louisiana) will see a fall in monthly benefits averaging approximately $47.15 beginning in January. Currently, SNAP beneficiaries receive Emergency Allotments, bringing them to the maximum benefit level for their household size. Benefit cutbacks for these households may not become apparent until the Emergency Allotments expire after the public health emergency has ended. As their income surpasses the eligibility threshold, an additional 1,414 SNAP cases will be dismissed. Less than one percent of FITAP and KCSP households will have their benefits reduced as a result of the COLA.

The Social Security Administration supplies the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) of Louisiana with an electronic file including individual benefit amounts. Beginning in January 2023, SNAP and FITAP applicants will get these income modifications automatically.

For households experiencing a reduction in benefits or the closing of a case, Louisiana 211 can provide guidance on how to receive further aid. 211 connects callers to access essential health and human services, such as clothing and food, in their community. Calling 211 is a simple method to gather information about obtaining aid.

Visit this link for additional information on SNAP.

For further information on the federal COLA, please visit the Social Security Administration by following this link and the Veterans Administration by following this link.