Expect Life for Food Stamps Recipients To Get Harder (Not Easier) in 2024 — Here’s Why
Written by
Josephine Nesbit
Edited by
Daria Uhlig
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More Americans are relying on federal safety net programs to get by. Rising wages haven’t kept pace with inflation, and the end of Covid-era assistance has left Americans with fewer resources.
Nearly a million more people have received support through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over the past year, NBC News reported. Since the beginning of 2020, the number of food stamp recipients has increased by 2.3 million to more than 42 million.
But benefits have shrunk, decreasing by an average of at least $95 a month per person since Covid-era funding ended, and eligibility requirement have become stricter. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, people ages 16 to 59 who can work must meet general work requirements to get SNAP benefits.
There could be even more changes coming soon.
When Congress returns from winter holiday break, lawmakers plan to pass the budget for 2024. Extensions to last year’s funding are set to expire on Jan. 19 and Feb. 2, and spending negotiations could put programs at risk, according to NBC. House Republicans are pushing for spending cuts to social programs, including SNAP.
At the same time, food banks across the country are being stretched thin.
“We estimate that almost 50 million people have visited food banks in the past year seeking help. The Federal and State governments have rolled back nearly all support that was provided for people during the pandemic at the very time that inflation was taking an extra large bite out of their income,” Vince Hall of Feeding America told Fox News.
FarmboxRx, a Boston-based company that delivers food boxes, cooking kits and pantry items, launched a program called Feed by FarmboxRx. The program, which supplies monthly boxes to people affected by SNAP cuts, received over 2,000 applications. The majority of applicants were already receiving SNAP, but the organization found that SNAP was not enough to cover monthly food expenses.
“The food stamps I do get do not last all month,” said one Feed by FarmboxRX recipient. “Everything continues to go up in price.”
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