Food Assistance Archive
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Podcast: The Safety Net’s Response to the Recession
October 8, 2009
Director of the Center’s Welfare Reform and Income Support Division, Dr. LaDonna Pavetti, testifies on the safety net's response to the recession before the U.S. House of Representative's Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family.
Duration: 10:55
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Testimony: LaDonna Pavetti, Director of Welfare Reform and Income Support, on the Safety Net’s Response to the Recession
October 8, 2009
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My testimony will focus on four points: With recent Census data showing increases in poverty and declines in incomes even before Americans began experiencing the worst effects of the recession — and with further deterioration expected in both areas — policymakers face a … -
Policy Basics: Introduction to the Food Stamp Program
Updated September 22, 2009
What Is the Food Stamp Program? The Food Stamp Program, the nation’s most important anti-hunger program, helps roughly 35 million low-income Americans to afford a nutritionally adequate diet. (Effective October 1, 2008, the 2007 farm bill renamed the Food Stamp Program the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.) More than 75 … -
Upcoming Medicare Change is an Opportunity to Enroll Eligible Low-Income Seniors in Food Stamps
September 9, 2009
The Medicare Part D Low-Income Drug Subsidy (LIS), Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs), and Food Stamps[1] can play important roles in improving the health and well-being of low-income seniors and people with disabilities. Together, these programs can provide several thousand dollars a year in benefits and can significantly … -
Food Stamps On-Line: A Review of State Government Food Stamp Websites
Updated July 8, 2009
All states make information regarding the Food Stamp Program,[1] including their applications, state policy manuals or regulations, and general program information, available to the public via the World Wide Web. [2] The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reviewed each state’s web pages to determine what information and services they offer regarding the Food Stamp … -
Online Information About Key Low-Income Benefit Programs
Revised April 27, 2009
Virtually all states have made information regarding the five main state-administered low-income benefit programs — food stamps, Medicaid, SCHIP, TANF and child care — available to the public via the internet. There is significant variation between what online information is provided … -
USDA Study Shows States Failing To Connect Many Needy Children to Free School Meals
March 3, 2009
Over the past three years, school districts and the state agencies that run the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly the Food Stamp Program) have been implementing a federal requirement designed to provide food assistance to needy children who are eligible for it and eliminate unnecessary paperwork for families and schools.… -
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: State-By-State Estimates of Key Provisions Affecting Low- and Moderate-Income Individuals
Updated February 25, 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is designed to boost employment and the economy. It contains a number of spending and tax measures crafted to inject more aggregate demand into the sagging economy. This paper provides state-by-state estimates for a number of the major spending and tax provisions that will affect low- and … -
Testimony: Sharon Parrott at the Hearing "Building a Foundation for Families: Fighting Hunger, Investing in Children" before the House Budget Committee
February 12, 2009
Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today about the current recession, its impacts on poverty and families, and the recovery package. The current recession already has pushed up the unemployment rate from 4.9 percent in December 2007 to 7.6 percent in January 2008. Alternative measures of the labor market paint a bleaker picture.… -
A Quick Guide to Food Stamp Eligibility and Benefits
November 18, 2008
Most families and individuals who meet the program’s income guidelines are eligible for food stamps. The size of a family’s food stamp benefit is based on its income and certain expenses. This paper provides a short summary of eligibility and benefit calculation rules.
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Statement by Stacy Dean, Director of Food Assistance Policy, on the New USDA Report on Hunger
November 17, 2008
Even before the current economic downturn, some 13 million households, containing 36.2 million people, lacked access to adequate food at some point in 2007 because they didn’t have enough money for groceries, according to the USDA report on hunger.
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Video: Stacy Dean, Director of Food Assistance Policy, on the Importance of Food Stamps, CNN's Situation Room
October 15, 2008
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Key Components of House and Senate Economic Recovery Packages Would Boost the Economy and Provide Needed Relief to Struggling Families
September 26, 2008
Congress is properly focused on designing an appropriate measure to address very serious problems in the financial markets, which many experts persuasively argue is essential to help avert a meltdown in the financial markets and a potentially severe recession. The problems in the financial sector, however, are not the only ones the … -
Farm Bill Contains Significant Domestic Nutrition Improvements
Revised July 1, 2008
The 2008 Farm Bill makes numerous improvements in domestic food assistance programs to help low-income Americans put food on the table in the face of rising food and fuel prices. The nutrition title includes more than $10 billion over ten years in increases in these programs — including $7.8 billion for the Food Stamp … -
Food Stamp Provisions of the Final 2008 Farm Bill
Revised July 1, 2008
The Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008,[1] otherwise known as the “Farm Bill,” includes a significant nutrition title that makes numerous improvements to the Food Stamp Program. Of the more than $10 billion over ten years in increases in domestic nutrition programs, $7.8 billion is for the Food Stamp Program (soon … -
Implementing New Changes to the Food Stamp Program: A Provision By Provision Analysis of The 2008 Farm Bill
July 1, 2008
The 2008 Farm Bill makes numerous improvements to the Food Stamp Program that will help low-income Americans put food on the table in the face of rising food and fuel prices.[1] Over the 2009-2017 period, the Farm Bill will add $7.8 billion in new resources for the program, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).… -
States’ Vehicle Asset Policies in the Food Stamp Program
Revised July 1, 2008
States have great flexibility to set the food stamp vehicle asset policies to ensure that needy households can get the help they need and still have reliable transportation. Forty six states have used this flexibility to exempt at least one vehicle from consideration in determining food stamp eligibility. However, nine states still limit the value of the cars participants … -
Strengthening the Food Stamp Program to Serve Low-Income Seniors
March 5, 2008
Many Americans do not realize that millions of seniors in our country live in poverty and cannot always afford an adequate diet. This is a complex problem requiring several responses, such as strengthening federal food assistance programs for seniors, improving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, and removing disincentives … -
Understanding Errors in the School Meals Programs
Revised February 19, 2008
The Agriculture Department recently published a rigorous study of error in the school lunch and breakfast programs. The results show a troubling degree of error in the programs. As USDA notes, changes to reduce program errors should improve accuracy without impeding program access or increasing paperwork. Moreover, the study could easily be misunderstood by … -
Dispelling Confusion on Food Stamps, Tax Rebates, and the Stimulus Package: Speaker's Statement on Food Stamps at National Press Club Was Mistaken
January 26, 2008
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made tough choices in the stimulus package, securing a tax rebate that includes most low-income working families while dropping provisions for temporary increases in unemployment and food stamp benefits. Unfortunately, in defending those choices at the National Press Club on Friday, she mistakenly provided an inaccurate description … -
Zandi Analysis Finds Rebates More Effective As Stimulus If They Include Lower-Income Workers
January 22, 2008
A new analysis by Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Economy.com, examines the effectiveness of various stimulus options that policymakers are now discussing. Zandi’s findings, which cover both tax and spending options, include the following: A temporary increase in food stamp benefits is the most effective stimulus measure on the … -
Comparison of Nutrition Provisions In House- and Senate-Passed Farm Bills
Revised January 14, 2008
The House passed its farm bill (H.R. 2419, the “Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007”) in July 2007. The Senate farm bill passed on December 14 (H.R. 2419, the “Food and Energy Security Act of 2007”). The two chambers are expected to begin negotiations on a conference agreement early in 2008. The attached … -
Description of Provisions In Senate Agriculture Committee Nutrition Title
Revised January 14, 2008
The Senate passed its 2007 Farm Bill, H.R. 2419, “The Food and Energy Security Act of 2007,” on December 14, 2007. The nutrition provisions of the bill include about $4.1 billion over five years in improvements for the Food Stamp Program and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), $1.0 billion for an expanded program under the School … -
Food Stamp Improvements for More Than 10 Million People Would Disappear in 2013 Under Senate-Passed Farm Bill
January 8, 2008
The nutrition titles of the House- and Senate-passed farm bills are very similar over the first five years that the farm bill would be in effect (2008 through 2012). The House bill invests $3.9 billion — and the Senate $4.1 billion — over five years in food stamps and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).… -
President's Vetoes Could Cause Half a Million Low-Income Pregnant Women, Infants, and Children to be Denied Nutritional Benefits in One of Nation’s Most Effective Programs
Revised December 10, 2007
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides nutritious foods, counseling on healthy eating, and health care referrals to low-income pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children under age five who are at nutritional risk. Unlike other key low-income nutrition programs, such as food stamps or school meals, there … -
2007 Farm Bill: Description of the House Agriculture Committee Nutrition Provisions
November 20, 2007
A straight extension of the farm bill with no policy changes, as some in Congress are reportedly advocating if the Senate cannot reach an agreement on floor debate, would lock in food stamp benefit cuts that affect more than 10 million food stamp recipients — including many low-income working families, seniors, and people with disabilities. These … -
2007 Farm Bill: Description of the House Agriculture Committee Nutrition Provisions
Revised November 2, 2007
On July 27, 2007, the House of Representatives passed its 2007 Farm Bill: H.R. 2419, The Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007. The nutrition provisions include about $4 billion over five years in improvements for the Food Stamp Program and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), as well as numerous program oversight, … -
Summary Analysis of the Senate Agriculture Committee Nutrition Title
Revised November 2, 2007
On October 25, 2007, the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee passed by voice vote its farm bill proposal, “The Food and Energy Security Act of 2007.” Including improvements expected to be added to the bill by a manager’s amendment after the bill passed out of Committee, the nutrition provisions of the bill include about $4.2 … -
Food Stamp Benefits Steadily Eroding in Value
June 22, 2007
Food stamp benefits average only about $1 per person per meal, and as a result of benefit cuts enacted in the 1996 welfare law, the purchasing power of most households’ food stamp benefits is eroding in value each year. In 2008, a typical working parent with two children will receive … -
The Food Stamp Program’s Critical Role in Helping Children
April 26, 2007
The Food Stamp Program is the Nation’s Biggest Child Nutrition Program The Food Stamp Program provides families with 13 million children with resources to purchase an adequate diet. This represents almost one in five children in the United States. Half of all food stamp recipients are children (and another 27 percent are adults who live with those children). Almost 80 percent of … -
Facts About African Americans in the Food Stamp Program
April 19, 2007
African Americans Benefit Disproportionately from the Food Stamp Program One in three food stamp households is headed by an African American. More than a third of food stamp benefits — over $10 billion per year — are issued to African-Americans. (According to Census data, African Americans make up about 12 percent of the … -
Facts About Latinos in the Food Stamp Program
April 19, 2007
Latinos Benefit Disproportionately from the Food Stamp Program One in five food stamp households is headed by a Latino. A fifth of food stamp benefits — nearly $6 billion per year — are issued to Latino households. (According to Census data, Latinos make up about 15 percent of the U.S. population.) More than 5 million … -
Administration Proposal Would Cut Over 300,000 People Off Food Stamps
Revised March 13, 2007
The President’s budget includes a provision that would cut the Food Stamp Program by $740 million over the next five years (and by $1.65 billion over ten years) by taking more than 300,000 low-income people off the program in an average month.[1] The Administration would achieve these savings by stripping states of flexibility provided in … -
Congress Has Not Favored the Food Stamp Program Over Farm Programs
March 12, 2007
Because expenditures for farm programs have declined in recent years while food stamp expenditures have grown, some advocates of farm programs have argued that Congress has treated the Food Stamp Program more favorably than farm programs — and that farm programs therefore deserve more … -
Do Budget Data Show That the Food Stamp Program Has Been Treated More Favorably Than Farm Programs in Recent Years?
March 12, 2007
Since enactment of the 2002 farm bill, expenditures for farm programs have declined while food stamp expenditures have grown. Some farm-program advocates have cited these figures as evidence that the Food Stamp Program has been treated more favorably than farm programs and that farm programs therefore are the ones that deserve more favorable treatment … -
Families’ Food Stamp Benefits Purchase Less Food Each Year
Revised March 9, 2007
Food stamp benefits average only about one dollar per person per meal (to be precise, the figure is $1.05 in 2007). In addition, as a result of benefit cuts enacted as part of the 1996 welfare law, the purchasing power of most households’ food stamp benefits is eroding in value each year. In 2008, food stamp benefits for a typical working parent … -
Video: Making America Stronger: U.S. Food Stamp Program
March 8, 2007
NOTE: This video contains some graphic images of the effects of malnutrition and hunger on children. Making America Stronger commemorates the 30th anniversary of the of the reforms achieved by the Food Stamp Act of 1977 by telling the story of how food stamps dramatically reduced the … -
President’s Budget Would Cut Food for 440,000 Low-Income Seniors
Revised February 8, 2007
President Bush’s fiscal year 2008 budget would eliminate funding for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), terminating food assistance to 440,000 low-income seniors in an average month. CSFP provides monthly nutritious food packages primarily to low-income seniors aged 60 and older in parts of 32 states, the District of Columbia, and two Indian … -
Testimony of Robert Greenstein, Executive Director, Before the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
Revised February 8, 2007
Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to testify today. I am Robert Greenstein, executive director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The Center is a nonprofit institution here in Washington, D.C. that conducts research and analysis both on fiscal policy matters and on an array of policy issues affecting low- and moderate-income … -
How Will the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Affect Food Stamp Program Operations?
October 26, 2006
On June 30, 2004, the President signed into law, the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-265). While the legislation focuses primarily on the child nutrition programs, it does amend the Food Stamp Act and will have some impact on Food Stamp Program operations. State food stamp agencies will now be … -
Implementing Direct Certification — States and School Districts Can Help Low-Income Children Get the Free School Meals for Which They Are Eligible
August 11, 2006
All children who participate in the Food Stamp Program are eligible for free meals at school. School districts and state agencies have long had the option of automatically enrolling such children for free meals through a process called “direct certification,” under which they bypass the standard application process. … -
The Food Stamp Program is Growing to Meet Need
Revised July 12, 2006
The Food Stamp Program is the cornerstone of the nation’s nutrition assistance programs. This year the program is providing over 25 million participants in more than 11 million low-income households with debit cards they can use to purchase food each month. Because eligibility is not restricted to specific subgroups of people, the Food Stamp Program serves a wide range of … -
Budget Process Bill Threatens Federal Nutrition Programs
July 6, 2006
The Senate Budget Committee has approved a bill that would radically alter federal budget procedures and could lead to massive cuts over time in the vast majority of domestic programs, including nutrition programs. The bill may come to the Senate floor this summer. Senator Judd Gregg, Chairman of the Budget Committee, has described the bill as offering “common sense and fiscally … -
School Meals Program Applications Online: Highlights of Ways to Reduce Access Barriers and Links to Available Materials
April 17, 2006
In 2004, Congress reauthorized the school meals programs and enacted numerous changes to program rules regarding the application, enrollment, and eligibility verification processes. As a result of these changes, every school district in the country had to revise its school meals application for the 2005-2006 school year. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has reviewed state … -
President's Budget Would Cut Food for Over 420,000 Low-Income Seniors
Revised February 14, 2006
President Bush’s fiscal year 2007 budget would eliminate funding for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), terminating food assistance to 420,000 low-income seniors in an average month. CSFP provides monthly nutritious food packages primarily to low-income seniors aged 60 and older in parts of 32 states, the District of Columbia, and two Indian reservations. [1] The typical … -
New Bush Administration Decision Makes States Base Food Stamp Benefit Levels For This Winter On Last Year's Heating Costs: Increased Hardship Likely To Result
December 14, 2005
The disruption in energy supply that the hurricanes caused has contributed heavily to the large spike in fuel bills expected this winter. The U.S. Department of Energy projects that the cost of heating homes with natural gas or heating oil will be 30 to 50 percent higher this winter than last. As a result, food stamp … -
House Reconciliation Bill Targets Food Stamp Program For Cuts
December 5, 2005
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the budget reconciliation bill the House passed on November 18 would cut 255,000 people off the Food Stamp Program, the large majority of whom live in low-income working families. This number includes: 70,000 legal immigrants who have been in the United States for between five and seven years and consist primarily of … -
Hardship Indicators Point to a Difficult Holiday Season: National Policy Response is Off Kilter
November 21, 2005
A variety of measures suggest that tens of millions of American families will confront significant hardships this holiday season, with many unable to meet their basic food, health, and shelter needs. Government data show that: Poverty has now risen for four straight years; 37 million people were poor in 2004. Food … -
Supposed Easing of House Food Stamp Immigrant Cut Turns Out To Be Largely Cosmetic: Change Retains Full Cut, Merely Phases It In Over Several Years
November 10, 2005
Last night, the House Rules Committee modified a food stamp cut in the House reconciliation bill. This change is being widely reported as a major easing of the bill’s restrictions on the ability of poor legal immigrants to receive food assistance. Such reports are incorrect. The Rules Committee’s changes in the … -
House Agriculture Committee Reconciliation Package Targets Food Stamp Program For Cuts
October 27, 2005
The House Agriculture Committee passed a bill on October 28th to cut about 300,000 people off the Food Stamp Program. Food stamp cuts would account for $844 million over five years of the $3.7 billion of cuts in the Agriculture Committee package. [1] The budget resolution that Congress approved in April required the Agriculture Committee to cut programs under its … -
Public Benefits: Easing Poverty and Ensuring Medical Coverage
Revised August 17, 2005
When individuals and families experience crises such as job loss, illness, disability, or divorce, they may face the prospect of falling into poverty (or becoming poorer) and losing health insurance coverage. Various government assistance programs are designed to lessen these hardships. These programs also provide support when families work but have low earnings and when … -
The Superwaiver Would Cause Serious Damage To The Food Stamp Program And Place Benefits For Low-Income Families At Risk
Revised August 10, 2005
The House of Representatives’ TANF reauthorization bill (H.R. 240) contains a proposal to grant sweeping authority to the Executive Branch to waive, at a governor’s request, most provisions of federal law related to a range of low-income and other domestic programs. This “superwaiver” proposal is … -
Selected Research Findings on Accomplishments of the Safety Net
July 27, 2005
Summarized below are some of the most important research findings on the accomplishments of government programs that assist low-income families and individuals. For more information, see the series of Center reports entitled What Have Low-Income Programs Accomplished? * Public Benefit System Sometimes called the “safety … -
Food And Nutrition Programs: Reducing Hunger, Bolstering Nutrition
July 19, 2005
Following the creation and expansion of the domestic food assistance programs in the second half of the 20th century, severe hunger, which had been a significant national problem, has become rare. The food assistance programs were developed in several steps. Concerns about the nutritional status of young men drafted for service in … -
Food Stamps and The Cuts That The Agriculture Committees Must Make
July 5, 2005
Some agricultural commodity groups have suggested that the House and Senate Agriculture Committees meet their $3 billion reconciliation instruction by cutting each program area that the Committees control in proportion to that area’s share of overall Agriculture Committee spending. These groups have circulated documents … -
The Food Stamp Program
Revised June 29, 2005
The Food Stamp Program has been streamlined and modernized and carries new protections against fraud. For many families, food stamps are a work support that provides a bridge from welfare and poverty to work and self-sufficiency. Food stamps also are a vital part of America’s response to economic slowdowns. Food Stamps –– Effective and Efficient … -
The Food Stamp Program is Effective and Efficient
Revised June 29, 2005
Some in Congress have suggested that the Food Stamp Program can be cut this year by targeting “waste, fraud, and abuse.” In fact, The Food Stamp Program is efficient and effective. Program integrity has improved dramatically in recent years and food stamp error rates are now at an all-time low. USDA data show … -
Administration Housing Proposal Lays Groundwork for Planned Funding Reductions
May 9, 2005
An Administration proposal, recently introduced in Congress as the “State and Local Housing Flexibility Act,” would make fundamental changes to two of the nation’s primary low-income housing assistance programs — the housing choice voucher program and public housing. [1] The proposal would lay the groundwork for … -
WIC Budget Proposal Would Discourage Cost Containment and Represents Unsound Policy
March 28, 2005
The Administration’s budget proposes a significant policy change in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) that would have adverse effects on the program. This same proposal was made by the Administration last year and was wisely rejected by Congress. The proposal would … -
Administration’s Budget Proposes to Cut the Food Stamp Program
March 4, 2005
The President’s budget proposes to cut the Food Stamp Program by $500 million over the next five years (and by $1.1 billion over ten years) by cutting more than 300,000 low-income people off the program in an average month. The Administration would achieve these savings by stripping states of flexibility provided in the … -
Reducing Paperwork and Connecting Low-Income Children with School Meals
November 16, 2004
In enacting the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, Congress made several changes in the eligibility determination process for free and reduced-price school meals.[1] (The eligibility determination process has two parts: “certification,” in which children are approved to receive meal benefits, and … -
Policy Considerations Relating to Privatization in the Food Stamp Program
October 28, 2004
The Food Stamp Act requires that state civil servants make all decisions about individual households’ eligibility for benefits. Throughout the program’s history, state civil service administration has been taken for granted. Last year, however, USDA approved a waiver for Florida to partially privatize … -
Food Stamp Error Rates Hold At Record Low Levels In 2005
June 30, 2004
On June 23, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released state and national food stamp error rates for federal fiscal year 2005 calculated through the food stamp quality control (QC) system. The national overpayment error rate — the percentage of food stamp benefit dollars issued in excess of the amounts for … -
WIC-Only Stores and Competitive Pricing in the WIC Program
May 17, 2004
Over the past decade, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has successfully leveraged market forces to contain program costs. Food prices have risen by 28 percent over the last ten years while WIC food costs have grown by only 18 percent. If left … -
New Food Stamp Outreach Opportunity
January 29, 2004
Nearly one in three non-institutionalized people enrolled in Medicare, or about 10 million people who are elderly or disabled Medicare beneficiaries, have incomes below 150 percent of the federal poverty level, $13,470 a year for a single person and $18,180 for a couple in 2004. [1] Many of these individuals face significant challenges … -
Five-State Food Stamp Block Grant Proposal in House Welfare Bill Would Risk Serious Harm to Low-Income Families
May 13, 2002
The House welfare reauthorization bill (H.R. 240) contains a proposal to allow five states to elect a food stamp block grant in lieu of the regular federal Food Stamp Program. A block grant, even if limited to five states, would likely cause damage to the Food Stamp Program and low-income families. The Food Stamp Program …
