CT’s one-time $300 payment to those kicked off SNAP benefits still available

[Excerpt from TV news report by Jayne Chacko, September 22, 2026]

As food prices remain high, affording groceries is even more challenging for the thousands of Connecticut families who lost help they’ve relied on.

They were kicked off SNAP benefits after federal eligibility changed last year, following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

According to state social services data provided to non-profit DataHaven, there was a 15% drop in SNAP enrollment from June 2025 to June 2026.

About 55,000 people no longer had benefits, and DataHaven reports the change in SNAP’s work requirements contributed to that.

Now, adults without dependents have to prove they work or volunteer at least 80 hours a month, or 20 hours a week to be eligible for SNAP.

“From childcare to medical issues, mental health issues, homelessness, there’s a lot of different things that I think wasn’t taken into consideration when this federal work mandate was put into place,” Jendayi Scott, founder of non-profit Angel of Edgewood, said.

Scott has been dropping off food and collecting donations to help feed those in need in Hartford, one of the areas that has seen a big drop in SNAP enrollment, according to DataHaven.

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