WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s administration has approved a significant and permanent increase in the levels of food aid available to needy families — the largest single increase in the program’s history. Starting in October, average benefits for food stamps — officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The Department of Human Services’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, today announced that  499 households were not re-certified for SNAP benefits and were therefore not issued SNAP benefits on July 1, 2021.  The Department is working diligently with its federal partners to launch the second

FREDERIKSTED — The Virgin Islands Department of Human Services announced today that they are immediately closing the SNAP and MAP offices at the Mars Hill location in St. Croix due to a positive COVID-19 exposure of a staff member. The Offices will be closed from Tuesday, March 2, 2021 and

FREDERIKSTED — In light of President Joe Biden’s Executive Order to boost food assistance for children missing school meals, the Department of Human Services’ SNAP office is awaiting additional guidance from the United States Department of Agriculture, Food & Nutrition Services (FNS). DHS is asking USDA when and if additional

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The Department of Human Services said Tuesday it was alerted that the USVI has received a temporary increase to the maximum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allotments due to COVID-19. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, signed by President Donald Trump on December 27, 2020, increases Supplemental Nutrition

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The Virgin Islands Department of Human Services (DHS) announced Wednesday that the PEBT plan for October, November or December issuance has not been approved. While discussions continue with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to issue additional emergency Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) benefits,

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The Department of Human Services (DHS) today announced the distribution of food assistance to over 13,000 children (from schools that participated in the School Lunch Program) totaling over $4.9 million additional dollars to the territory via an Electronic Benefit Transfer System (EBT). After much anticipation, Pandemic EBT

CHARLOTTE AMALIE – The Virgin Islands Department of Human Services (DHS) is notifying on-going Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) & Cash Assistance (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled (AABD) Households, due to re-certify in the month of August 2020, that their certification period

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The Families First Coronavirus Response Act includes a benefit called Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) for children who received free or reduced-price school meals in the 2019-2020 school year, but their school is or was closed during a public health emergency. “The Department of Human Services (DHS) apologizes for the delay in the

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The Office of the Governor has launched a series of casual interviews with prominent government officials. In today’s interview, Human Services Commissioner Kimberley Causey-Gomez will be interviewed by Director of Strategic Operations and Interim Public Information Officer Michelle M. Francis. The interview will cover current hot topics