State officials announced on Tuesday that some Connecticut residents who have recently lost food stamps can now qualify for $300 in grocery store gift cards. But not everyone who has lost SNAP qualifies. The program is specifically aimed at people who have lost benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, in recent months due to new federal work requirements for “Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents.” Since July 2025, around 35,000 people in Connecticut have lost SNAP, according to the state Department of Social Services. That includes nearly 18,900 children who have lost access to federal nutrition benefits since July 2025 and 1,745 refugees and asylum seekers. Here’s what to know about the funds being offered and who is eligible. What is the benefit and why is it being offered? The new funds will provide $300 in spending power for each household member who has lost SNAP. The benefits are being distributed as prepaid virtual grocery store cards, and can be used anywhere that SNAP is accepted. Though Connecticut residents who qualify will be able to apply for the cards anytime between now and December, they will only receive the card one time. Tens of thousands of people have been removed from the rolls since late fall because of rule changes ordered last summer by the federal government. Veterans, unhoused people, young adults transitioning out of foster care and parents of minor children age 14 and older no longer are exempt from work requirements. Federal officials also cut SNAP benefits for certain categories of legal immigrants. Who qualifies? The funds are available to people who lost SNAP due to the new work requirements, and who don’t have a disability that prevents them from working. This includes veterans, people who are homeless, those between the age of 55 and 64 years old, young adults under age 24 who are transitioning out of foster care, and parents of minor children age 14 and older. Though people with refugee status and asylum seekers who do not have green cards have also lost SNAP under new federal rules, these groups do not qualify. Lamont’s spokesperson said the administration has made other funds available to address the needs this population might have. “Governor Lamont recently allocated $3 million from the Federal Cuts Response Fund to ensure our refugee agencies can continue serving the needs of those populations in the face of dramatic reductions in funding from the federal government,” Cathryn Vaulman said. The governor earlier this year also sent nearly $25 million from state surplus to food banks and pantries. Another $4.7 million went to the United Way of Connecticut’s 2-1-1 information line and to nonprofit community action agencies, which help SNAP recipients navigate new eligibility rules and find additional forms of aid. The Lamont administration also added 50 new positions to an understaffed social services department to help residents with SNAP and other assistance programs. But food bank officials have said they can offset only a fraction of the need created when so many lose SNAP benefits. To learn more about who may qualify, Connecticut residents can contact a local Community Action Agency. Those groups are responsible for distributing the gift cards. What should people do if they are concerned about losing their SNAP benefits? State officials said on Tuesday that of the 35,000 who have lost SNAP over the last nine or so months, around 5,000 Connecticut residents have been successfully re-enrolled in the program, with some complying with the new work rules that require recipients to work and/or volunteer at least 80 hours a month. State officials say it’s not always easy to navigate the program, and Connecticut residents should reach out if they are in doubt. “It becomes kind of a tangled web of unraveling who is eligible, why they lost eligibility, and what they can do,” said Daniel Giacomi, the director of program oversight and grants administration at the Department of Social Services.   For questions, DSS recommends visiting your local Community Action Agency. A list of CAA’s can be found here: https://www.cafca.org/agencies/ ...read more read less