Hunger-relief charities ask no SNAP cuts, increase in TEFAP
November 14, 2013 | 09:17 PM
More than 1,300 state and local hunger-relief charities around the country today sent a letter to Congress urging members to protect the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP or food stamps, from cuts, and to increase The Emergency Food Assistance Program, which buys food for distribution to food banks and institutions, by at least the $300 million in the House-passed bill.
“While unemployment has fallen, food insecurity has not,” Bob Aiken, CEO of Feeding America, the national network for food banks, said in a news release. “That’s because low-income households are typically the last to recover from a recession.”
While mid-wage occupations constituted 60 percent of recession losses, they account for only 22 percent of recovery growth, Feeding America noted in the news release.
“By contrast, low-wage occupations represented 21 percent of recession job losses but have made up 58 percent of recovery growth,” it said. “Low-income workers are competing with workers with higher education and skills for low-wage jobs. Unemployment among college graduates is 3.5 percent, but it remains at 11.3 percent for those with less than a high school diploma.”
In the letter, the groups wrote, "Under the House bill, nearly 4 million individuals would lose SNAP benefits entirely, 850,000 households would lose an average $90 per month in food assistance, and 210,000 children would lose free school meals.”
“The bill would also place time limits on SNAP participation and incentivize states to cut caseloads at a time when jobs remain scarce,” the letter said.
“SNAP participants will already have their benefits cut starting this November, when a family of four will lose $36 per month from their maximum benefits, a loss of $432 over the course of the year. Together, the proposed and scheduled SNAP cuts for 2014 would exceed the total number of meals distributed annually by Feeding America’s entire national network. With charities already struggling to keep up with existing need, we cannot possibly make up the difference if SNAP were cut.”
The hunger-relief charities also noted that TEFAP also helps American farmers through USDA purchases of American commodities to distribute through food banks, but that USDA has not made as many bonus commodity purchases in fiscal year 2013.
“The Feeding America network is extremely concerned that we will not have enough USDA commodities to help meet demand this year,” the letter said.
“While unemployment has fallen, food insecurity has not,” Bob Aiken, CEO of Feeding America, the national network for food banks, said in a news release. “That’s because low-income households are typically the last to recover from a recession.”
While mid-wage occupations constituted 60 percent of recession losses, they account for only 22 percent of recovery growth, Feeding America noted in the news release.
“By contrast, low-wage occupations represented 21 percent of recession job losses but have made up 58 percent of recovery growth,” it said. “Low-income workers are competing with workers with higher education and skills for low-wage jobs. Unemployment among college graduates is 3.5 percent, but it remains at 11.3 percent for those with less than a high school diploma.”
In the letter, the groups wrote, "Under the House bill, nearly 4 million individuals would lose SNAP benefits entirely, 850,000 households would lose an average $90 per month in food assistance, and 210,000 children would lose free school meals.”
“The bill would also place time limits on SNAP participation and incentivize states to cut caseloads at a time when jobs remain scarce,” the letter said.
“SNAP participants will already have their benefits cut starting this November, when a family of four will lose $36 per month from their maximum benefits, a loss of $432 over the course of the year. Together, the proposed and scheduled SNAP cuts for 2014 would exceed the total number of meals distributed annually by Feeding America’s entire national network. With charities already struggling to keep up with existing need, we cannot possibly make up the difference if SNAP were cut.”
The hunger-relief charities also noted that TEFAP also helps American farmers through USDA purchases of American commodities to distribute through food banks, but that USDA has not made as many bonus commodity purchases in fiscal year 2013.
“The Feeding America network is extremely concerned that we will not have enough USDA commodities to help meet demand this year,” the letter said.
