(Richmond, VA) – Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin announced on Sunday that his administration received notifications from the federal government that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits would be paid this week.  The state will put a hold on Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance (VENA) benefits to ensure full compliance with federal requirements. According to the Federal Food and Nutrition Service, 65% of SNAP benefits will be issued to more than 850,000 Virginians this week.

“The Commonwealth launched VENA last week to ensure there was no interruption to food benefits for Virginians in need,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “Our top priority has been to ensure that every Virginian facing food insecurity knows that we are doing everything in our ability to provide food assistance. Now, based on federal guidance, we are committed to processing the federal SNAP benefits made available no later than Thursday. I want to thank our team at DSS and Health and Human Resources for their hard work and dedication.”