Committee proposes $100 one‑time stipend for Reach Up households, and backs using SNAP discretionary exemptions

Committee staff told members there is $499,995 in Reach Up caseload savings in the BAA the administration proposed to move elsewhere. Staff and advocacy partners recommended keeping those funds in the Reach Up program and using the money to pay a one‑time $100 inflation response stipend to each eligible household; staff estimated the payment would use roughly $372,700 of the available funds based on November caseload counts (3,727 households in Reach Up) and leave a small remainder to be carried forward.

Several members supported returning the appropriation to Reach Up households, noting prior one‑time payments during the COVID pandemic and citing advisory council and child poverty panel recommendations that direct cash transfers or top‑ups reduce hardship. Some members opposed unrestricted cash stipends and suggested restricting funds to food or similar uses; staff said the proposed stipends would not affect other benefits.

Separately, the committee discussed 3Squares (SNAP) and a bank of 29,000 discretionary exemptions available to Vermont. Staff said Vermont has not regularly used those discretionary months for about a decade, and because the pandemic allocation increases the available bank, the state must act before the units expire (federal deadline Oct. 1 in the language). The committee recommended directing the agency to administer the discretionary exemptions to avoid losing federally funded units that help eligible households retain benefits while meeting administrative requirements.

Committee members asked staff for updated Reach Up caseload data and for an estimate of administrative costs to deliver a $100 stipend before finalizing recommendations for Appropriations.