Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission received federal authority to extend certifications by six months for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients.
This extension is for SNAP recipients whose benefits are up for renewal in July and August.
HHSC received federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to also waive interview requirements for new and current households.
The interview waiver applies to new applicants and those whose benefits are up for renewal, and the HHSC can process applications as they are received and make eligibility determinations faster.
"The State of Texas is committed to ensuring families have access to nutritious food throughout the COVID-19 pandemic," said Abbott. "By extending automatic SNAP renewals and temporarily waiving interview requirements, we will ensure more Texans have healthy meals for their families. I thank our federal partners for their continuous support as we respond to COVID-19."
The automatic renewals will extend the benefits of about 276,000 households who have not yet turned in their renewal information for July and August.
