The FACTS on Food Stamps

[Billy000]

Inspired by Pete's asinine rant on the poor, here is the no-spin facts on SNAP (food stamps). Maybe now you will stop listening to the bullshit propaganda that comes from the Republican party. I put what I consider to be the most important facts in bold, but I do encourage you to read all of it.

SNAP is targeted at the most vulnerable.

76% of SNAP households included a child, an elderly person, or a disabled person. These vulnerable households receive 83% of all SNAP benefits.

SNAP eligibility is limited to households with gross income of no more than 130% of the federal poverty guideline, but the majority of households have income well below the maximum: 83% of SNAP households have gross income at or below 100% of the poverty guideline ($19,530 for a family of 3 in 2013), and these households receive about 91% of all benefits. 61% of SNAP households have gross income at or below 75% of the poverty guideline ($14,648 for a family of 3 in 2013).[ii]

The average SNAP household has a gross monthly income of $744; net monthly income of $338 after the standard deduction and, for certain households, deductions for child care, medical expenses, and shelter costs; and countable resources of $331, such as a bank account.[iii]


SNAP is responsive to changes in need, providing needed food assistance as families fall into economic hardship and then transitioning away as their financial situation stabilizes.

SNAP participation historically follows unemployment with a slight lag. SNAP participation grew during the recession, responding quickly and effectively to increased need. As the number of unemployed people increased by 94% from 2007 to 2011, SNAP responded with a 70% increase in participation over the same period. [iv]

As the economy recovers and people go back to work, SNAP participation and program costs, too, can be expected to decline. Unemployment has begun to slowly fall, and SNAP participation growth has flattened out. The Congressional Budget Office projects SNAP participation to begin declining in 2015, with both unemployment and SNAP participation returning to near pre-recession levels by 2022.[v]

SNAP has a strong record of program integrity.

SNAP error rates declined by 57% since FY2000, from 8.91% in FY2000 to a record low of 3.80% in FY2011.[vi] The accuracy rate of 96.2% (FY2011) is an all-time program high and is considerably higher than other major benefit programs, for example Medicare fee-for-service (91.5%) or Medicare Advantage Part C (88.6%). [vii]

Two-thirds of all SNAP payment errors are a result of caseworker error. Nearly one-fifth are underpayments, which occur when eligible participants receive less in benefits than they are eligible to receive.[viii]

The national rate of food stamp trafficking declined from about 3.8 cents per dollar of benefits redeemed in 1993 to about 1.0 cent per dollar during the years 2006 to 2008.[ix] As you may have read in local news, USDA is aggressively fighting trafficking, but while there are individual cases of program abuse, for every one instance of fraud, there are hundreds of stories of heartbreaking need.

The need for food assistance is already greater than SNAP can fill.

SNAP benefits don’t last most participants the whole month. 90% of SNAP benefits are redeemed by the third week of the month, and 58% of food bank clients currently receiving SNAP benefits turn to food banks for assistance at least 6 months out of the year.[x]

The average monthly SNAP benefit per person is $133.85, or less than $1.50 per person, per meal. [xi]

Only 55% of food insecure individuals are income-eligible for SNAP, and 29% are not income-eligible for any federal food assistance.[xii]



Categorical Eligibility

Categorical eligibility allows many people to automatically enroll in SNAP who wouldn’t otherwise qualify for the program.

Categorical eligibility does not allow households to enroll automatically; they must still apply through the regular SNAP application process, which has rigorous procedures for documenting applicants’ income, citizenship, work status, and other circumstances.

Categorical eligibility allows states the option of aligning SNAP eligibility rules for gross income and asset limits with TANF to reduce administrative costs and simplify the eligibility determination process. While three-fourths of SNAP households were categorically eligible, almost all would also have been eligible for SNAP under standard rules.[xiii]

While a small number of households would not have met gross income and asset eligibility rules without categorical eligibility, SNAP families are still among the poorest households:

The average SNAP household has a gross monthly income of $744 and net monthly income of $338.[xiv]
SNAP rules limit eligibility to households with gross income under 130% of poverty and net income at or below 100% of poverty. While categorical eligibility allows states to set a higher gross income limit, only 1.5% of SNAP households in 2010 had monthly net income above 150% of the poverty line, so the policy has not made SNAP available to large numbers of households with incomes above the federal gross income limit of 130% of poverty.[xv]
SNAP rules limit eligibility to households with assets of no more than $2000 ($3250 for households with a senior or disabled member). The average SNAP household still has assets of only $331.[xvi] Additionally, the SNAP asset limit of $2,000 has not been adjusted for inflation in 25 years and has fallen by 48% in real terms since 1986.[xvii]

Categorical eligibility has dramatically increased program participation.

The dramatic increase in SNAP participation and costs is a result of the recession, not categorical eligibility. Our nation has seen the highest unemployment rates in nearly 30 years.

The dramatic increase in SNAP participation and costs is a result of the recession, not categorical eligibility. Our nation has seen the highest unemployment rates in nearly 30 years.
SNAP participation historically follows unemployment with a slight lag. SNAP participation grew during the recession, responding quickly and effectively to increased need. As the number of unemployed people increased by 94% from 2007 to 2011, SNAP responded with a 70% increase in participation over the same period. [xviii]

As the economy recovers and people go back to work, SNAP participation and program costs, too, can be expected to decline. Unemployment has begun to slowly fall, and SNAP participation growth has flattened out. The Congressional Budget Office projects SNAP participation to begin declining in 2015, with both unemployment and SNAP participation returning to near pre-recession levels by 2022.[xix]

Eliminating categorical eligibility would significantly reduce costs.

Eliminating categorical eligibility would achieve savings by causing about 2-3 million low-income people currently enrolled in SNAP to lose their benefits.[xx] Many more families newly applying for assistance would have their benefit issuance delayed because of the increased complexity of applying and additional processing time required. This human cost is too high a price to pay with so many families struggling to get by in this economy.

In addition to the loss of needed food assistance for struggling families, this savings would come at the expense of increased administrative costs. Eliminating the streamlined application process that categorical eligibility allows would require states to allocate staff time to duplicate enrollment procedures and incur the cost of modifying their computer systems, reprinting applications and manuals, and retraining staff.


Program Growth

Generous eligibility rules and program fraud and abuse have caused participation in SNAP to balloon, sharply driving up the cost of the program when the nation can least afford it.


The dramatic increase in SNAP participation and costs is a result of the recession, not categorical eligibility. Our nation has seen the highest unemployment rates in nearly 30 years.

SNAP participation historically follows unemployment with a slight lag. SNAP participation grew during the recession, responding quickly and effectively to increased need. As the number of unemployed people increased by 94% from 2007 to 2011, SNAP responded with a 70% increase in participation over the same period. [xxi]

As the economy recovers and people go back to work, SNAP participation and program costs, too, can be expected to decline. Unemployment has begun to slowly fall, and SNAP participation growth has flattened out. The Congressional Budget Office projects SNAP participation to begin declining in 2015, with both unemployment and SNAP participation returning to near pre-recession levels by 2022.[xxii]

SNAP (Food Stamps): Facts, Myths and Realities

(Their sources are straight from government data)

 

[Billy000]

Let's put it another way. 1 out of 6 people face hunger. America is not as wealthy as people would like to believe.

 

[R.C. Christian]

What are we up to now 48% of Amerika is on food stamps now? Do you see something wrong here?

 

[boedicca]

Yes. Billy and his overlords would like to make it as close to 100% as possible (exempting themselves, who will be able to buy food at special stores for the ruling elite).

 

[R.C. Christian]

Eventually, we'll all be standing in lines waiting for the government to feed us.

 

[Billy000]

What are we up to now 48% of Amerika is on food stamps now? Do you see something wrong here?

47 million people are on food stamps. I don't know where this 48% is coming from.

 

[R.C. Christian]

What are we up to now 48% of Amerika is on food stamps now? Do you see something wrong here?

47 million people are on food stamps. I don't know where this 48% is coming from.

Thanks, I got my terms confused. Still, that is a shocking number don't you think?

 

[naturegirl]

How soon we forget......the great depression lasted for years. Food was rationed so there would be enough for everyone. I see we may soon be approaching the same circumstances. But the economy is getting better, right?? Sure it is.

March 1, 1942 ? Food Rationing Begins Nationwide « The National WWII Museum Blog

 

[syrenn]

Let's put it another way. 1 out of 6 people face hunger. America is not as wealthy as people would like to believe.

can you buy lobster with snap?

 

[boedicca]

Let's put it another way. 1 out of 6 people face hunger. America is not as wealthy as people would like to believe.

can you buy lobster with snap?

I'd rather have Dungeness crab...I can't stand lobster.

 

[Billy000]

Let's put it another way. 1 out of 6 people face hunger. America is not as wealthy as people would like to believe.

can you buy lobster with snap?

Yes, but you would have to be a complete idiot. It's pretty hard to ignore a basic need like hunger. Recipients learn quickly to play it smart.

 

[boedicca]

Let's put it another way. 1 out of 6 people face hunger. America is not as wealthy as people would like to believe.

can you buy lobster with snap?

Yes, but you would have to be a complete idiot. It's pretty hard to ignore a basic need like hunger. Recipients learn quickly to play it smart.

Yeah, like selling food stamps so they can buy cigarettes...or loading up barrels to send to Haiti where the food is sold on the black market.

 

[syrenn]

Let's put it another way. 1 out of 6 people face hunger. America is not as wealthy as people would like to believe.

can you buy lobster with snap?

Yes, but you would have to be a complete idiot. It's pretty hard to ignore a basic need like hunger. Recipients learn quickly to play it smart.

can you buy caviar with snap?

 

[syrenn]

Let's put it another way. 1 out of 6 people face hunger. America is not as wealthy as people would like to believe.

can you buy lobster with snap?

I'd rather have Dungeness crab...I can't stand lobster.

you CAN buy dungeness crab with snap.

 

[boedicca]

can you buy lobster with snap?

Yes, but you would have to be a complete idiot. It's pretty hard to ignore a basic need like hunger. Recipients learn quickly to play it smart.

can you buy caviar with snap?

Sadly, not Beluga caviar. And in CA, one can no longer buy Foie Gras with SNAP.

 

[syrenn]

@Billy000

i am trying to get the facts about snap out of you here

can you buy caviar with snap?

 

[boedicca]

One thing is for sure, one can buy Skittles and Iced Tea with SNAP...fo shizzle!

 

[Billy000]

can you buy lobster with snap?

Yes, but you would have to be a complete idiot. It's pretty hard to ignore a basic need like hunger. Recipients learn quickly to play it smart.

can you buy caviar with snap?

Definitely not. You would starve to death before you could save up the money for it.

 

[syrenn]

Yes, but you would have to be a complete idiot. It's pretty hard to ignore a basic need like hunger. Recipients learn quickly to play it smart.

can you buy caviar with snap?

Sadly, not Beluga caviar. And in CA, one can no longer buy Foie Gras with SNAP.

I am sure that foie gras is on the list of acceptable things to purchase with snap in all other states though.

 

[boedicca]

Yes, but you would have to be a complete idiot. It's pretty hard to ignore a basic need like hunger. Recipients learn quickly to play it smart.

can you buy caviar with snap?

Definitely not. You would starve to death before you could save up the money for it.

That's not what she asked bub. Are there are restrictions on eligible SNAP purchases which prevent one from buying caviar?