States begin rolling back pandemic-related emergency food assistance

As coronavirus restrictions ease, more adults are vaccinated and Americans head back to work, some state officials are moving to end emergency or disaster declarations. This could mean a drop in aid for those who've struggled to put food on the table during the pandemic.

It is part of a series of changes this summer as state officials start rolling back billions in relief. To date, 26 states have announced they will exit enhanced federal unemployment programs ahead of their September expiration date, cutting the additional $300 per week people were getting in their unemployment checks. Now, a number of states are beginning to end increased food assistance as well.  The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP, is the largest federal food assistance program in the United States aimed at helping low-income Americans. The amount a family receives is based on a number of factors including household size and income. As the pandemic struck and food bank lines grew, states were able to increase those benefits to the maximum levels allowed per household, which for some amounted to hundreds in additional help. But that required both a federal public emergency and state-level emergency or disaster declaration to do so, something states are now ending.