DHS Asks FoodShare Members to Be Aware of March Benefit Letters
Automatically generated letters will say no benefits are available in March because of federal government shutdown
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) says FoodShare members should be aware that some letters they receive will say they are getting no benefits in March due to the federal government shutdown.
Our top priority is to ensure the needs of Wisconsin residents are met, and to share information with members, partners, and stakeholders as the situation evolves. DHS continues to work with the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to understand the impacts the shutdown may have on March benefits. As FoodShare benefits are 100 percent federally funded, those benefits have not been guaranteed.
However, the letters are automatically generated as part of normal system processing, and represent the current scenario of no federal funding for FoodShare in March. The letters will include this note, whether the applicant or member is enrolled in FoodShare or not:
Note: If you have applied or are enrolled in FoodShare, your benefits may be impacted by the federal government shutdown. This means you may get a $0.00 benefit in any month until the shutdown ends. You cannot ask for a fair hearing for this change.
DHS is working with FNS, as well as other federal and state agencies to explore options for funding benefits in March. We will notify members when we receive additional information about funding availability. DHS will continue to post up-to-date information on our FoodShare webpage.
DHS wants to remind members that February FoodShare benefits will be available on QUEST cards as early as January 20. Members that get these early February benefits will not get additional FoodShare benefits on their QUEST cards in February, so members need to budget and plan accordingly.
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