Emergency Food Stamps Program Ends, Cutting Benefits for 31 Million – By Yuval Rosenberg and Michael Rainey (The Fiscal Times) / Mar 1, 2023
We’ve made it to March, which means that spring will soon get sprung! Here’s what we’re watching while we wait.
Emergency Food Stamps Program Ends, Cutting Benefits for 31 Million
Congress gave the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program a big boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, helping millions of households avoid hunger and food shortages over the past three years. As of today, the temporary increase in SNAP benefits is coming to end, a move that will reduce the level of federal nutritional aid for millions of households.
There are roughly 42 million SNAP beneficiaries, and about 31 million of them are still receiving the pandemic-era emergency allotments. According to an analysis by the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, SNAP’s emergency allotments program was still operating last month in 32 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
As of this month, the 16 million households receiving extra benefits will see a reduction in aid of at least $95 a month, with some households losing far more, CBPP says. On average, each person receiving benefits will see a cut of about $90 per month, which could add up to hundreds of dollars per month in larger households. Those qualifying for the minimum benefit, many of whom are elderly, will see the biggest cuts as monthly aid falls to as low as $23.
