Qualifying Maine residents will receive payments from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the next three days as it starts to distribute its money for the month of October.
Food stamps are issued to low-income residents in the Pine Tree State who need assistance with grocery purchases. They will arrive between Tuesday and Saturday, and the day that the payments are sent out depends on a recipient’s date of birth.
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For example, beneficiaries born on days ending in 0 or 9 will get their benefits on Tuesday, and those born on days ending in 1 or 8 will receive their payments on Wednesday. People born on days ending in 5 or 6 will see their monthly benefits on Saturday.
The maximum SNAP payments are $281 for a household of one, $939 for a household of four, and $1,691 for a household of eight. For additional household members, $211 is added. The average payment per household member per month in Maine is $168.
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The monthly payments are loaded onto an electronic benefit transfer card, and recipients can use the card at grocery stores to purchase eligible food products such as fruits, vegetables, bread, meat and poultry, and drinks. SNAP benefits cannot be used to buy products such as pet food, alcohol, and household items such as paper and soap.
In Maine, approximately 161,800 people (or roughly 12% of the population) receive SNAP benefits, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.