How much did SNAP benefits increase for households in 2020 due to emergency allotments?

1. How big was the average boost — numbers tell two different stories

Published research and government summaries converge on a clear numeric picture: the mean SNAP household benefited by roughly $95 per month when comparing pre-pandemic averages to April–December 2020 figures. A study reports average SNAP monthly benefits rose from $242 in March 2019–February 2020 to $337 in April–December 2020, capturing the initial EA impact and reflecting the aggregate increase across states and household sizes ^[1]. This $95 average increase is consistent with later descriptions that the program ensured recipients received at least an additional $95 per month beginning in practice and by policy revision, though the distribution around that mean was wide, and the headline average masks important heterogeneity ^{[4] [2]}.

2. Many households saw much larger increases — the tail matters

Aggregate averages understate how large increases were for some families. Government and academic sources document that EAs often topped out at the difference between a household’s pre-pandemic benefit and the maximum SNAP allotment for their household size, producing increases of $250 per month or more for numerous households that were previously well below the maximum ^{[4] [5]}. The USDA’s April 2020 statement characterized the program as a 40% increase in monthly benefits nationwide, translating into an illustrative $240 boost for a five-person household’s monthly purchasing power ^[3]. That demonstrates the program’s design: smaller increases for some, very large increases for others who had been far below maximum allotments.

3. Policy changes and timing: 2020 versus 2021 design shifts matter

Timing matters for interpreting the 2020 impact. Initial EAs began in March–April 2020 and raised benefits by providing the maximum allowable allotment to households not already at the maximum, but that approach initially left households already receiving maximum benefits unchanged ^[6]. The Consolidated Appropriations Act and subsequent USDA guidance then raised maximum allotments (effective January 2021 for the Thrifty Food Plan adjustment) and, crucially, the administration later ensured that by April 2021 all recipients in EA states received at least $95 if they had not already received that amount ^{[7] [5]}. Thus, while the core EA effect began in 2020, policy refinements in late 2020 and early 2021 altered who benefited and by how much ^{[7] [2]}.

4. State variation, opt-outs, and political dynamics changed realized benefits

Not all states sustained EA increases; 18 states opted out of the program before its federal expiration, producing a measurable drop in benefits where opt-outs occurred. One study estimates opt-outs reduced average monthly SNAP benefits by about $183 per beneficiary in the opt-out states and coincided with a modest decline in state SNAP enrollment ^[1]. Researchers also found that a state governor’s political party affiliation was a significant predictor of the opt-out decision, indicating that political choices at the state level materially changed the EA reach and magnitude for millions of households ^[1].

5. What the numbers mean for poverty and food spending — measured impacts

Multiple analyses attribute sizable social impacts to the EA increases. Studies estimate that emergency allotments helped keep 4.2 million people out of poverty and meaningfully raised food-at-home spending — one study links emergency allotments to about $150 more in food-at-home spending on average over March 2020–February 2023 ^{[4] [2]}. These measured outcomes reflect both the scale of added dollars and the concentration of larger allotments among households that were previously far below maximum benefits. The evidence shows a clear causal chain: emergency allotments raised benefits, which raised household food spending and reduced poverty metrics in measurable ways ^{[6] [2]}.

Conclusion: The simplest, supportable summary is this — for the typical household, SNAP benefits increased by roughly $95 per month in 2020, while many households saw substantially larger increases (often $250+), the USDA described the program as a roughly 40% uplift in monthly benefits for households broadly, and state-level opt-outs and later federal adjustments changed both the distribution and duration of those increases ^{[1] [3] [2]}.