CT lawmakers want answers on delay in millions in summer federal food aid

Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, D-New Haven, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, and Sen. Matt Lesser, D-Middletown, Thursday said they want “a more detailed explanation” from the state Department of Social Services on the six week delay in the Summer EBT program.

Families in need in Connecticut were set to receive millions of dollars in federal food assistance this week, but a day before the funds were scheduled to arrive, the State Department of Social Services announced that disbursements for the new summer program will be delayed until August.

The senators’ joint statement said. “Families expecting these benefits during the summer will be unable to access them until their children will already be preparing for the new school year.

“Delays and issues happen, but the lack of explanation surrounding this change does not answer our constituents’ questions. The last-minute announcement will have a detrimental effect for thousands of families and will increase food insecurity across our communities,” they said. “Summer programs need to be active during the summer, not near the end of it – we hope the Department of Social Services can provide more information regarding this delay and find ways to help the families who may struggle in its absence.”

DSS told families that eligible households would receive an extra $120 per child on Sunday, June 23, through the Summer Electronic Benefits for Children Program — a federal grocery benefit that launched this year to address summertime food insecurity among students who receive free and reduced-price meals during the school year.

As many as 273,000 children in the state qualify for the program, according to DSS. But on Saturday, June 22, the department announced in a Facebook post that “unexpected delays” pushed back the start of the program. With no further explanation, DSS said families will not receive the $120 deposits until early August.

In a statement emailed to the Courant, DSS Deputy Communications Director Christine Stuart said Connecticut is in possession of the federal money required for the program. Stuart said the state received its portion of the Summer EBT allocation in May after the USDA approved the state’s initial plan for operations and management of the program in late April.

Read more about the EBT issue here.