Hundreds of Thousands to Lose Access to SNAP Benefits by April 2020

The Trump Administration announced Wednesday that it was trimming access to SNAP benefits by able-bodied adults. Agricultural Secretary Sonny Perdue along with Brando Lipps, the deputy undersecretary for the USDA SNAP, announced several changes that will be implemented to the SNAP benefits program effective April 1, 2020.

The SNAP program was never intended to be a permanent safety net for fellow Americans. Perdue stated, “Americans are generous people who believe it is their responsibility to help their fellow citizens when they encounter a difficult stretch. That is the commitment behind SNAP, but, like other welfare programs, it was never intended to be a way of life.” Action must be taken to reform the SNAP benefits program. According to Perdue, we must restore the dignity of work and alleviate the burden on the American taxpayer.

The SNAP program has almost three million child-less adults enrolled to receive benefits. Out of the three million adults enrolled in SNAP, over two million able-bodied individuals without dependents were not working.

Enrollment in SNAP Benefits Has Increased

SNAP benefits, formally known as food stamps, exploded during the great recession of 2008-2009. More people were receiving SNAP benefits during this timeframe than ever before. Since the economy has improved, SNAP benefits have decreased significantly. SNAP recipients were at an all-time low in 2000 with only 17 million people receiving benefits. This gradually increased in 2005 with 25 million Americans receiving benefits.

For 2019, over 34,287,244 individuals received SNAP benefits with the average benefit per person being $130.90. The SNAP benefits program costs the American taxpayers $49,370,096. This is a significant change from 2016 when over 44,219,656 individuals were enrolled in the program. The most populous states like Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, California, New York, Michigan, Georgia, and Florida have the most enrollees.

Hunger in America

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, an outspoken democratic representative from the State of New York, slammed the Trump administration for being insensitive to the needs of the poor. Ocasio-Cortez stated through her twitter feed, “It is shameful how the GOP works overtime to create freebies for the rich while dissolving lifelines of those who need it most.” The young freshman congresswoman is familiar with the pangs of hunger. Ocasio-Cortez’s father died at the age of 48 while she was still a student. Her family heavily depended upon SNAP benefits to make ends meet. Otherwise, the family may have starved.

Work Waivers

Under the Obama administration, states obtained work-requirement waivers for their able-bodied residents if the local unemployment rate was significantly higher than the national limit. In October, the national unemployment rate was 3.6%. Childless adults between the ages of 18 and 49 are required to work 20 hours per week over a 36 month time period. Exceptions can be made if the person has a medical disability or the person is taking care of a feeble household member.

Next year, the Trump administration proposes limiting the work-requirement waivers for states that have a high unemployment rate that is over 6%. With this new rule, the USDA proposes that 688,000 people will lose access to their SNAP benefits. This will save the American government over $5.5 billion in taxpayer funds within the next five years.

Trump Seeks to Change SNAP Eligibility

There are two more rules that the Trump administration is considering eliminating to remove over 3.5 million Americans from SNAP benefits. Previously, assets were not used in determining eligibility for SNAP benefits. Trump seeks to close this loophole by disallowing benefits for a household that has over $2,250 in assets and terminating benefits for households of four that have incomes that exceed $50,000 annually. Another factor is just to adjust the national eligibility guidelines for SNAP benefits so that it only benefits certain individuals about the poverty threshold.

Getting America Back to Work

Positions nationwide are going unfilled. Employers are seeking to fill the numerous vacancies with local workers. The Trump agenda aims at getting Americans back to work to focus on a more prosperous nation.

However, prosperity hasn’t reached all Americans. Many people have employment challenges. Criminal justice records and limited educational and vocational opportunities have limited able-bodied adults in finding suitable employment. Many Americans work in unpredictable jobs with unstable work hours like fast food or waitressing. Some Americans have mental disabilities that hinder employment prospects.

Many Democrats consider Trump’s SNAP benefits policy as cruel and unnecessary in a time of economic abundance. According to Senator Debbie Stabenow, instead of cutting SNAP benefits, the Republicans and the Democrats should focus on a bipartisan job training program that helps families find stable jobs that provide good benefits.