SEN. NEEDLEMAN WELCOMES NEW STATE-FUNDED FOOD ASSISTANCE FOR CT RESIDENTS WHO WERE PUSHED OUT OF SNAP BY TRUMP AND DC REPUBLICANS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe O’Leary | Joe.OLeary@cga.ct.gov | 508-479-4969

August 4, 2026

State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex) welcomed an announcement by Governor Ned Lamont that beginning August 4, new one-time grocery benefits in the amount of $300 each are being distributed to low-income Connecticut residents who have been pushed out of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) due to new changes implemented by the Trump regime in the Republican federal budget.

There are more than 2,770 constituents receiving state SNAP benefits in Sen. Needleman’s 33^rd State Senate District towns. Reports indicate at least 35,000 state residents have been disconnected from their benefits in the last year, nearly 10% of all state recipients. Although not every single SNAP recipient in the district will receive the new benefit card, a number will.

“These changes were confusing and restrictive when they were first announced, and we know as many as 35,000 state residents have lost SNAP access in the last year through no fault of their own,” said Sen. Needleman. “Connecticut Democrats are committed to supporting and bolstering everyone in our communities, especially those struggling.”

The $300 grocery benefits are being distributed as prepaid virtual grocery cards—not loaded onto existing EBT cards—through a partnership the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) arranged with Connecticut’s network of community action agencies, with support provided by the Connecticut Association for Community Action (CAFCA).

Eligible residents are expected to be able to begin accessing the benefits starting today.

The benefits are being financed by $8.5 million in state funding that Governor Lamont approved several weeks ago using Connecticut’s Federal Cuts Response Fund. This recently created state fund was established by Governor Lamont and Democratic state legislators to ensure that Connecticut remains prepared to quickly respond to significant federal policy and funding changes affecting Connecticut residents, businesses, and communities.

“Connecticut will not stand by as the Trump administration uses hunger as a weapon against working families, veterans, and our most vulnerable populations,” Governor Lamont said. “These federal changes represent a cruel decision to pull food away from people who need it most. I am particularly troubled by the decision to eliminate the exemption for veterans who risked their lives for our country and are now having the rug pulled out from under them. Connecticut is providing this food assistance as a bridge to prevent people from going hungry as we help them navigate these federal changes. I am urging Congress to reverse these inhumane cuts so we can get groceries back on the tables of those who need it.”

Any individual in a household who lost SNAP eligibility due to the new federal changes—commonly referred to as ABAWD, or Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents requirements—since December 1, 2025, and who is no longer receiving SNAP, qualifies for the benefit. The benefit is available per individual, not per household, and the amount is the same for every eligible recipient.

Connecticut residents who received a DSS notice stating they do not meet the ABAWD requirements and who are identified in that notice as having reached their three-month SNAP benefit limit should reach out to their local community action agency about how to request the benefit. Eligibility will be confirmed at the time of request.

The new grocery benefit functions like a prepaid Mastercard or Visa and can be used at any food retailer that accepts standard credit cards. It does not expire, and any unused balance remains on the card until spent. The benefit is intended for SNAP-eligible food purchases.

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