SNAP helps low-income households purchase the groceries they need to prepare nutritious meals at home. In Virginia, SNAP is administered by the Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS), with automatic deposits distributed to SNAP accounts each month. Virginia’s SNAP benefits will only ship three days a month, including December 2022.
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Your Virginia EBT card can be used to purchase eligible groceries from authorized retailers that display either the Quest logo or an image of a Virginia EBT card. After you swipe your card at checkout and enter your PIN, your receipt will show you the remaining benefits available in your SNAP account.
Use the USDA’s SNAP Retail Locator to find SNAP Authorized Retailers near you. Your Virginia EBT card can also be used online. Select your state here to find participating online retailers.
The US Department of Agriculture has also expanded SNAP eligibility for students who are at least half enrolled in college. According to the Virginia DSS, students must either be eligible to attend state or state-funded work study during the regular school year or have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $0 in the current school year.
How to get EBT rebates
You can save money with your Virginia SNAP EBT card. Here are discounts or free services available to SNAP recipients in December:
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Amazon Prime: Virginia SNAP recipients can sign up for an Amazon Prime EBT rebate for $6.99 per month, which is about half the regular cost of a subscription.
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Farmers Markets: Look for farmers markets that offer “Virginia Fresh Match,” which offers a discount or match on the amount of SNAP benefits you spend.
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Museums/zoos/aquariums: Virginia’s Museums for All initiative grants EBT cardholders free or discounted admission to over 900 museums, aquariums and zoos across the country.
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Dining program of the restaurant: In Virginia, you can also use your EBT card to purchase hot meals through the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP), which is available to SNAP recipients.
To verify your eligibility or apply for SNAP benefits, you can apply through CommonHelp or fill out an application manually. Select “Application for Benefits” under the “Forms” section and mail it to your local Social Services Department.
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Benefits will be sent on the 1st, 4th and 7th of each month based on the last digit of your case number. Benefits will be added at 00:01 on your scheduled date, even if that date falls on a weekend or holiday.
Here is Virginia’s SNAP Deposit Schedule for December 2022:
|
Case number ends with: |
Available Benefits: |
|
0-3 |
1 Dec |
|
4-5 |
December 4th |
|
6-9 |
December 7th |
SNAP recipients will also receive another large payment in December, which includes the 12.5 percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) approved for 2023. The 2023 COLA runs through September 30, 2023, which will help SNAP recipients deal with rising food costs.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Food Stamps Schedule: Virginia EBT Benefits for December and Where to Get SNAP Discounts