For the first time in 50 years, the White House hosted a national Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. The last time the White House held this type of conference, it led to the creation of the WIC program.

Federal leaders announced a National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health outlining transformative goals to increase economic and food security, including:

• Expand the Child Tax Credit
• Invest in housing and rental assistance
• Create a permanent Summer EBT program 
• Increase access to SNAP for various communities, including college students and other adults who currently have limited access to SNAP
• Modernize WIC to improve benefits and increase participation
• Expand Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations Self-Determination projects

MFBN looks forward to working with state and national partners to ensure that these important goals become reality.

The SNAP Application is a Vital Link to Food Assistance

In order for Montanans to apply for SNAP online, now they must have an email address. Montana’s Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) is working to reverse this change because it presents a significant barrier to food assistance for Montanans that do not regularly use email, do not have an email address, or lack internet access. MFBN will provide updates when any changes are made to remove this email requirement.

To learn more, read or listen at Montana Public Radio: Email requirement could add a hurdle for some applying for food assistance.

Additionally, in a positive shift, some Montanans are now able to use a shorter application for SNAP. A new hard-copy short version of the application is available to households in which all members are age 60 or older, or are disabled through Social Security. 

To help with families’ grocery costs, DPHHS has issued Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) to eligible families, and more issuance rounds are coming up. Read about it in the news: State issuing federal benefits for families. The multiple rounds are summarized in the chart below.

Parents with questions about P-EBT should email [email protected].
Find further information on eligibility and the benefit issuance schedule at DPHHS’ FAQ page and at montanameals.org.