For the first time in the history of the United States' food stamp program, the Biden administration announced it would increase the long-term benefits, which would give Americans more financial support for groceries.
The decision would also add billions of dollars in costs to the government, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said during a call on Monday. In October, the average benefits will increase by more than 25% from pre-pandemic levels for the 42 million people included in the program.
Food Stamp Benefits
Average monthly benefits of the program will jump by $36 per person, from $121 to $157, an official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity ahead of the Monday announcement. The increase would also significantly inflate the cost of the program, by about $20 billion per year, Vilsack said.
In a statement, the official added that the pandemic forced people to believe that the program was meant for others and not for them. When the health crisis surged and the effects on the economy worsened, there suddenly were many families who never thought they needed the program, Fortune reported.
Despite the assistance, anti-hunger advocates have argued that the government's subsidy was insufficient to help the people in need. The Agriculture Department increased the payments from the program by revising the list of foods. This was used to estimate the cost of a nutritious diet, and Congressional approval isn't needed to implement the change.
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The benefits of the food stamp would have decreased by October if the Biden administration had not implemented the change. On September 30, the temporary 15% boost provided by the pandemic relief legislation was set to expire.
The increase marks the largest ever jump of benefits in the history of the program and gives poor people more sustainability to buy groceries. Critics of the benefits have, for at least a decade, argued the insufficient funds of the program.
Who Could Receive the Increased Benefits?
Data showed that more than three-quarters of households used up all of their benefits in the first half of the monthly cycle. Researchers have linked food shortages to issues such as hospital admissions, school suspensions, and lower SAT scores, the New York Times reported.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allows families with certain household incomes to become eligible for the benefits. Applicants must have equal to or lower than 130% of the poverty line in household income. This was averaged to about $2,252 a month, based on a 2019 report by the Center of Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). Exceptions include families that include a senior citizen or a person with disability and may be eligible despite surpassing the monthly thresholds, AS English reported.
Stacy Dean, the deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition, and consumer services, said that the SNAP program needed a Thrifty Food Plan that supported nutritious budget meals. He added that many American families struggled to afford healthy food. The revised plan aimed to get many people the support they needed to feed their families properly.
The Farm Bill was passed by U.S. lawmakers in 2018, which, among other things, directed the Department of Agriculture to re-evaluate the TFP no later than 2022. The department said that the program has been left untouched since 2006 despite major changes to dietary guidance, food prices, and what Americans purchase and eat in the last few years, Fox Business reported.
Vilsack said that the increased benefits of the program allow the $79 billion annual costs to help stabilize the democracy of the country. He said that even if there is a Constitution and a Declaration of Independence, it doesn't mean a thing if 42 million Americans were starving.
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