Here's What The Historic Increase In Food Stamp Benefits Could Mean For You

With all the developments in Afghanistan and Haiti, you may have missed this historic announcement out of Washington:

The Biden administration has approved updates to the program known as SNAP, giving families who currently receive food stamps the largest single increase in benefits to date.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday released a re-evaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan, which is used to calculate SNAP benefits, based on changes to nutritional guidance, food prices and what Americans eat.

Its new calculations mean that the average SNAP benefit will increase by $36.24 per person, per month, beginning Oct. 1. The impact will be felt by many, as the USDA says the program helps feed more than 42 million Americans (or 1 in 8) each month.

The exact amount will vary by state — you can check on your state's estimated increase here.