Biden is expected to announce an expansion of the food stamp programme to cover approximately 40 million Americans, requiring additional billions to fund, The New York Times reported on Sunday, citing an unnamed official.
The source noted that monthly benefits would rise by 25 percent in comparison with the pre-pandemic period, from $121 to $157. The move, which doesn't require congressional approval, was said would be announced on Monday and the measure will be implemented by the end of this year.
The expansion of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) followed after the Department of Agriculture (USDA) revised the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), an estimate of the cost of a nutritious diet for a family of four.
Nearly 42 million Americans were said to be relying on food stamps, a 15-percent increase, as part of the $900 billion relief bill, introduced in December 2020. Social assistance measures were prolonged in March and are supposed to last until September.