Food Stamps Guidance: US Army Advises Soldiers to Fight Inflation By Applying For SNAP

One young woman, soldier, returns from military service and meeting her baby boy after a long time.
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The U.S. Army has formulated a battle plan against the ongoing advance of inflation, and it involves advising troops to arm themselves with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

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Okay, maybe the Army didn’t put it in quite those terms. But it was suggested that soldiers who qualify for SNAP take advantage of the program to ease any financial problems caused by the highest inflation rate in more than 40 years, Fox News reported.

SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, is a federal program that provides food-purchasing assistance to low-income households. The Army recently issued guidance that “service members and their families may be eligible” for SNAP benefits, and referred soldiers and their families to the SNAP website and phone number.

As previously reported by GOBankingRates, 2022 income eligibility limits for SNAP benefits typically range from a gross monthly income of $1,396 for a household of one to $4,839 for a household of eight. Those limits apply to the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. Limits are higher in Alaska and Hawaii.

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For many families, food stamps offer a financial lifeline in an economy where prices have soared across a wide spectrum of consumer goods and services.

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“With inflation affecting everything from gas prices to groceries to rent, some soldiers and their families are finding it harder to get by on the budgets they’ve set and used before,” Sergeant Major Michael Grinston said in the Army’s guidance. “Soldiers of all ranks can seek guidance, assistance, and advice through the Army’s Financial Readiness Program.”

SNAP is one of several financial options outlined by the Financial Readiness Program, Fox News noted. Another is Financial Frontline, which provides resources such as educational videos for managing debt, tax help, financial literacy training and free financial counseling.

The Army’s guidance also advised soldiers with federal student loan debt to research the U.S. Department of Education’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program to see if they qualify for loan forgiveness.

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In addition, soldiers can seek financial assistance from the Army Emergency Relief nonprofit organization, which provides grants and interest-free loans to service members and their families.

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About the Author

Vance Cariaga is a London-based writer, editor and journalist who previously held staff positions at Investor’s Business Daily, The Charlotte Business Journal and The Charlotte Observer. His work also appeared in Charlotte Magazine, Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal and Business North Carolina magazine. He holds a B.A. in English from Appalachian State University and studied journalism at the University of South Carolina. His reporting earned awards from the North Carolina Press Association, the Green Eyeshade Awards and AlterNet. In addition to journalism, he has worked in banking, accounting and restaurant management. A native of North Carolina who also writes fiction, Vance’s short story, “Saint Christopher,” placed second in the 2019 Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition. Two of his short stories appear in With One Eye on the Cows, an anthology published by Ad Hoc Fiction in 2019. His debut novel, Voodoo Hideaway, was published in 2021 by Atmosphere Press.
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