Feeding The Vulnerable

Where is our Summer going so quickly, and what will Fall bring? One thing we know it may bring is decreased levels of food security for millions of Americans. The USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit levels have been in place, since the passage of the ARRA in 2009. Let's be clear; the current eligibility and benefit levels were originally scheduled to phase out, as the economy recovers. Nonetheless the program was and has remained inadequate to meet the needs of the nation's poor. Benefit levels will be cut back in November 2013, because SNAP was stripped from the recent Farm Bill, which passed the House of Representatives last week. We can already anticipate the contentious process of a bitterly divided Congress drafting and enacting separate food assistance legislation.  

"The big majority of Americans, who are comparatively well-off, have developed an ability to have enclaves of people living in the greatest misery almost without noticing them."~ Gunnar Myrdal   

     Republicans will continue to allude to big government and excessive spending; the rhetoric has its own terminology. Just the term food insecurity has become the brunt of brutal humor! We are talking about hunger, malnutrition, dumpster-diving desperation, people! It translates to stunted physical and intellectual growth in children, disease at any age and premature death in the elderly. 

     The term entitlement comes with an onus that sticks like simple syrup to certain government programs. It does not matter whom these programs serve, the rationale behind the program or, for that matter, how efficiently the program runs. Contrary to the rhetoric surrounding so-called entitlement programs, over 90% of SNAP benefits go to disabled, elderly and working poor. Here are some facts from Feeding America:

1. Who receives assistance? To qualify for SNAP benefits, a household must have a gross income at or under 130% of the federal poverty guideline. 
2. How poor is poor? Slightly more than 80% of households currently receiving SNAP benefits are actually at or below 100% of the poverty line. That translates to an income of $19,530 for a family of three in 2013. These households receive a little over 90% of all SNAP benefits awarded. 
3. How much lower does it go? More than half the households receiving SNAP benefits have gross incomes at or below 75% of the poverty line, or $14,648 for a family of 3 in 2013. 
4. What is the financial picture for an average SNAP household? It is a gross income of $744 monthly; a net income after the standard deduction of $338 per month. This does not take into consideration deductions for child care, medical expenses, cost of shelter and "countable" resources. Anyone who has applied for nutritional assistance knows that a vehicle, insurance policy, bank account , or other common asset, will count against their household, in determining benefit level. 
5. What happens, when earnings return or increase? Flexibility is inherent in SNAP; a certain percentage of households recover financial stability; once that occurs, benefits stop and/or are recovered. 
6. How will the cutbacks affect the average SNAP household? A household of three will experience a reduction of $240 to $300 annually, in lost food assistance. Keep in mind these households are currently hard-pressed.

     To dispel any doubts about program integrity, SNAP is well-run. A high percentage (approximately 92%) of tax dollars go to target recipients. In 2011 SNAP's error rate was 3.80%, an all-time low for the program and exceptionally low by comparison to other government programs. Food stamp trafficking, an ugly reality of the 90s, has dropped precipitously in recent years, because of aggressive enforcement by the USDA.  

      Last, but, by no means least, SNAP benefits represent a leg up, rather than a handout for unemployed or underemployed individuals. Recipients of SNAP benefits are truly in need:  90% of SNAP benefits have been expended by recipient households by the third week of each month. More than half of SNAP households will turn to food banks for assistance at least six months of any given year. An average SNAP household's benefit per person is a little more than $130, less than $1.50 per person per meal. Periodic reporting is required by law, and any significant increase in income or assets, as well as any significant decrease in expenditures, must be reported within a ten-day window. Benefits diminish or cease within weeks of any significant change.

   This is only part of a rather grim picture. A little more than half the Americans who are deemed 'food insecure' are eligible for SNAP; nearly one third are not income-eligible for any federal food assistance. 

    In short it is the most vulnerable Americans, the disabled, including veterans, the very young and the elderly, who are most at risk here. Working poor, unemployed, single parent families will see grocery prices continue to rise, while SNAP benefits shrink or disappear. I've wondered aloud, and continue to wonder aloud, where is the outrage?