More than 130,000 Louisiana families who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP) and Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP) benefits will see those benefits decrease in January due to receiving a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase to their Social Security and veterans benefits for 2024.

COLA is an annual adjustment calculated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics based on fluctuations in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers.

Social Security Retirement, Survivors and Disability Insurance (RSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and some Veterans Administration (VA) payments will be increasing by 3.2% as a result of the 2024 COLA. Monthly benefits for individual Social Security recipients will increase, on average, by more than $50 a month, from $1,827 in January 2023 to $1,885. The monthly maximum benefit amount for SSI recipients will increase by $29 a month, from $914 in 2023 to $943 in 2024.

For some Louisianans receiving Social Security, veterans and disability payments, the increase will impact their eligibility for other assistance programs and reduce their current benefit amount. Due to receiving the RSDI, SSI or VA COLA increase, 130,409 SNAP households (about 33% of all SNAP households in Louisiana) will face an average reduction of approximately $27.42 in monthly benefits beginning in January. Another 938 SNAP cases will be closed due to incomes that will now exceed the eligibility limit. Less than 0.85% of FITAP and KCSP households will see a benefits reduction as a result of the 2024 COLA.

DCFS encourages SNAP households to report any changes in their household size, income or expenses, as certain changes could result in an increase to their regular benefit amount.

Louisiana residents facing reduced benefits or case closure can find additional community-based resources, such as the Catholic Charities Food for Seniors program and Feeding Louisiana, at http://dcfs. la/fa. Likewise, the Louisiana 211 Statewide Network connects people to health and human services resources in their communities. This free, confidential service is available 24 hours a day by text or phone and offers translation services in 161 languages.

For more information about SNAP, visit www.dcfs.la.gov/ SNAP.

To connect with Louisiana 211, dial 211 or text your zip code to 898-211.

For more information about the federal COLA, visit the Social Security Administration at www. ssa.gov/cola and the Veterans Administration atwww.benefits. va.gov/compensation/ rates-index.asp# cola