Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Millions Face 'Hunger Cliff' As Pandemic Food Stamp Program Expires
ABC News: Pandemic-Era Food Stamps Ending For Nearly 30 Million Americans
After nearly three years, the federal government is ending pandemic-era payments on March 1 for low-income families on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. ... The average household will lose $95 a month for groceries, according to a study from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Depending on other factors, including family size and income, some recipients will lose hundreds of dollars a month in food assistance. (Christoforous, 2/28)
The New York Times: Low-Income Families Brace For End Of Extra Food Stamp Benefits
Tens of millions of low-income families are set to lose additional food stamp benefits on Wednesday after the expiration of a pandemic-era policy that had increased the amount they received, leaving food banks bracing for a surge in demand and some advocates predicting a rise in hunger nationwide. For nearly three years of the pandemic, emergency legislation enacted by Congress sought to cushion the economic blow of the coronavirus, allowing all participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to receive the maximum monthly benefit, regardless of income. The extra cash, along with other economic assistance programs, helped keep food insecurity at bay and cut poverty rates to a record low. (Qiu, 2/28)
Stateline: States Strive To Help SNAP Recipients Cope With Lower Benefits
States, community groups and food banks are scrambling to help families cope and gear up for an expected wave of food hardship. “People are scared. They’re anxious. This is a devastating change,” Karla Maraccini, director of the Food and Energy Assistance Division of the Colorado Department of Human Services, told Stateline. “We want to make sure nobody is caught off guard in March.” (Mercer, 2/28)
The Hill: SNAP Cuts Could Lead To ‘Hunger Cliff,’ Experts Fear
Navigating a post-COVID America on pre-COVID-level SNAP benefits might be more of a struggle for others, like the elderly and the chronically ill. Especially now that inflation has caused food prices to balloon by nearly 10 percent since last year, according to the Department of Agriculture. Anti-hunger advocates fear the newly reduced SNAP benefits will drive millions of people to a “hunger cliff” and deeper into poverty as they search for ways to pay for food. (O'Connell-Domenech, 2/28)
PBS NewsHour: Food Banks Prepare For Spike As Pandemic SNAP Benefits Come To An End
In the last three years, households eligible for food assistance received at least $95 more per month as part of a pandemic-era increase to combat hunger. But Wednesday, those benefits will expire, meaning a smaller monthly food budget for nearly 30 million Americans. William Brangham visited a food bank in rural Virginia that’s gearing up to meet the increased need this cut will likely trigger. (Brangham, Quran and Hastings, 2/28)
USA Today: Extra SNAP Benefits Are Ending. Here's What You Can Do To Offset The Loss
Check your eligibility. Surprisingly, about 8 million Americans are eligible for some SNAP benefits but may not even know, said Zareena Meyn, executive director at mRelief, a nonprofit with a free platform where people can enter basic information to see if they qualify for SNAP and if so, sign up. (Lee, 2/28)
In related news —
Iowa Public Radio: Iowa House And Senate Committees Advance Bills To Change SNAP And Medicaid Eligibility
Republican lawmakers in the Iowa House and Senate advanced bills Tuesday that would change eligibility requirements for low-income Iowans to get food and health care assistance, which meant the proposals survived a key statehouse deadline for most bills to get approved by a committee. Both bills, which were amended Tuesday, would limit households seeking food assistance to a maximum of $15,000 in liquid assets and personal property. The applicant’s home, a first car of any value, and a second car worth up to $10,000 would not be included in that calculation. (Sostaric, 2/28)
