Posted October 29, 2013
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly
referred to as “food stamps,” will be cut at the end of the week, according to
an article by The Hill available here.
It is unlikely that Congress will act to avert what
some are calling the “food stamp cliff.”
The cut, which will affect about 47 million people, will take place on
November 1 and will end a funding increase that was part of the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) stimulus legislation.
The amount of the cut depends on household size. For a family of four, the cut will be $36 per
month or about 20 meals under the Department of Agriculture’s estimate for the
cost of a “thrifty meal.” Single adults
will have their monthly benefits reduced to $189 per month, for a cut of $11. For more specific information on the cuts to
SNAP benefits, an article by USDA is available here.
Lisa Davis of the food bank network Feeding America said,
“We have never seen a cut like this affecting all beneficiaries. With the government shutdown and other
national and international issues going on, many people have no idea this is
coming.”
SNAP benefits have been a contentious issue between the
House and the Senate over the farm bill legislation. The House bill cuts SNAP by $40 billion,
while the Senate bill cuts $4 billion.
These cuts primarily come from provisions that would make qualifying for
SNAP more difficult while receiving other aid like home heating assistance, and
halting state waivers for work requirements.
The farm bill conference is set to begin on October 30.
For more information on nutrition program and farm
bills please visit the National Agricultural Law Center here
and here.
