The United States Government provides a nutrition assistance program called SNAP, which is run by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) through its Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). This program is more commonly known as food stamps. The program assists low-income households that meet specific requirements in affording proper food. Unfortunately, many of these families will lose their ability to feed themselves.
Congress decided to set new rules for families to receive SNAP services; some of these new rules are enhanced work requirements, an increased age limit for the working class, stricter paperwork to show proof of employment and shorter time limits for people struggling to meet the requirements.
Some people who previously qualified but no longer do are veterans, people who have aged out of the foster care system and homeless individuals. For families with low-income jobs who are caring for children, the age has now been narrowed to under 14, down from 18 previously. As described by the Food Research and Action Center, “Veterans with irregular schedules see their benefits vanish, even though they rely on them to make ends meet.”
On a community level, food pantries are facing a large demand that they cannot meet. Additionally, rural hospitals have seen a higher uncompensated care cost due to the new food insecurity levels.
Nationwide, around 41.7 million people use the SNAP program, and roughly 4 million are expected to lose their eligibility for food stamps and access to proper nutrition for themselves and their families within the year.
Found by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “Approximately 4 million people in a typical month will lose some or all of their SNAP food benefits once the changes are fully implemented, based on Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates.”
Within Kentucky, approximately 242,405 households are now at risk of losing their ability to use the SNAP program. Many counties in Kentucky are being affected by this, especially Harlan County. In 2021, there were approximately 3,835 households in Harlan County receiving the SNAP benefits, or 26.6 percent, as stated in the Harlan County Family and Individual Department Data.
Along with the new requirements, Congress has approved a large budget cut from the SNAP program, signed by President Donald Trump; the approximate amount is $197 billion. Kentucky, on its own, will be losing $63 million within the next 10 years.
In the years ahead, families will lose the ability to feed themselves and provide for their children and elders. The new rules do reduce the federal spending rates, but they risk worsening the hunger and poverty rates among Americans. The people who rely on the SNAP program the most will be losing the benefits.
