Snap Pros And Cons

SNAP is the foundation of nutrition assistance programs. This program provides over 47 million individuals in nearly 23 million low-income households. The eligibility is not restricted to certain groups of individuals, and because of this, SNAP serves a vast amount of families with children, elderly people, and individuals with disabilities. Others eligible for SNAP include families with adults who work in low-wage jobs, unemployed workers, and those with a fixed income. The SNAP Program assists about 72 percent of people who live in households with children. Nearly 25 percent of households with seniors and individuals with disabilities, are also assisted (Rosenbaum, 2013).

For instance, there are behavioral or social reasons for nonparticipation. Some individuals who are eligible may not be aware of their eligibility. In 2009, it was estimated half of the households that were eligible did not participate because they either believed they were ineligible or were unsure if they were eligible. This lack of knowledge has encouraged efforts for SNAP outreach in some areas of the country, with partnering organization working with the state and local SNAP offices Additionally, when looking at explanations for nonparticipation, one might think about those individuals who choose not to participate despite being aware of their eligibility. Some households or individuals will never register for SNAP. These “non-compliers” could make this decisions either for personal reasons, a desire for independence, or issues with the administration of food stamps. Research has highlighted that SNAP participation is negatively impacted by long waiting periods at the local offices and other burdensome administrative and implementation issues for the states and participants (Bartlett, Burstein, & Hamilton, 2004; Currie & Grogger, 2001; U.S. General Accounting Office, 2001; Kabbani 2003; Ratcliffe, McKernan & Feingold, 2007; Zedlewski & Radar,

With $30 you can buy the following: 2 pies of Frozen Freschetta 12” Pizza, 1 box of Kellogg’s cereal of your choice, 3 boxes of Barilla Pasta, 2 jars of Barilla Pasta Sauce, 1 pound of turkey breast cold cuts, 1 package of salad blend, 1 and a ½ crown of broccoli, 5 tomatoes on the vine and 8 slices of store-made angel food cake (“ShopRite of Poughkeepsie Weekly Ad Week of April 20 through April 26”). Can you survive on that for a week? The average single able bodied, unemployed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipient in New York receives around $30 a week to purchase food (“Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program”). The food stamp program was made national by the Food Stamp Act of 1964 by President Lyndon. B. Johnson (“Food Stamps in the U.S”). Today, over 47.6 million Americans rely on the government to buy groceries (“Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program”). The food stamp program is a staple part of our society. However, there was a time when the program was so unpopular that it shut down for almost two decades. In the recent years, food stamp benefits have been on a trend of expanding not only the amount of recipients, but also the amount each recipient receives in benefits. Why has the food stamp program become so popular and supported over the years? And what is the fate of SNAP? The analysis of trends of the policy changes and public moods shows that the size of the food stamp program has changed with the shift in America’s attitude towards

Many do not know they are eligible, others find the process too difficult. Even those on food stamps benefits can run out before the end of the month, creating tough choice about whether to buy food or pay bills. Charities and churches provide some help but cannot fill the growing need. The food stamp program has a rich history in helping the nation’s poor and it continues to be the nation’s first line of defense against

Also many of the impoverished people have SNAP benefits, but they do not have a grocery store near them to use these benefits at. The Social Work and Social Welfare textbook states that, “The average SNAP grant per household was $287, or $4.30 per person per day.” This means that most people really could not fully feed themselves while using SNAP. The researchers that conducted the study in this article interviewed and observed various different kinds of people in a rural county. The people they interviewed were of all different ages, had lived in the county for different amounts of time, and had different incomes. The researcher spent a long period of time volunteering at the rural food pantries to make relationships with the community members and to observe what challenges they are facing. After spending that time volunteering, they got volunteers to be interviewed using open-ended questions so that they could have a more complete understanding of the challenges of this food desert. A major finding in the study was that people with strong social ties in the communities did not have problems feeding themselves and keeping themselves

According to fns.usda the USDA is working hard to make sure that only the families that are eligible are participating in the program. Also the USDA established a new rule in august of 2012 that requires states to cross check to ensure that non ineligible people will not participate in the SNAP program. These solutions have worked against SNAP fraud, according to fns.usda in 2011, states completed 798,000 fraud investigations resulting in over 46,000 disqualified participants. This solution is going to decrease and possible stop the amount of food stamp fraud and abuse of the

The supplemental nutrition assistance program –SNAP helps families in domestic hunger safety. Most might refer to them as Food stamps. SNAP is helpful for people who need assistance facing poverty. The Hamilton Project says, “This makes it the country’s most critical tool in battling poverty. The program kept 4.9 million out of poverty in 2012.” Many may argue, why are people still being unassisted in receiving SNAP benefits? As Michael Tanner writes in his policy analysis, “Snap is a deeply troubled program that has high administrative costs and significant levels of fraud and abuse” (1). Which leads me to say, it is time for the state to

Food stamps have helped a lot of people out and I have no doubt about that in my mind. Many families depend on

In the following paper, the topic of food stamps or the official name Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which is defined on the government website as “SNAP offers nutrition assistance to millions of eligible, low-income individuals and families and provides economic benefits to communities. SNAP is the largest program in the domestic hunger safety net”.(2017) The argument in the paper is the fighting for or against the continuation of SNAP within the United States of America. Some main points that will be covered in this essay are if SNAP should be continued, should or should not there be an increase in the amount of money given to people on welfare and food stamps, and should the government drug test people that want food stamps.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, is a government program to help its participants buy food. The amount of money issued each month is calculated by income, number of people in household, and other factors. SNAP benefits create a way for people to eat. But it also helps people in more ways than just filling their stomachs. And yet, there are those who do not see the benefits in continuing this program. If you have never experienced having to use government benefits just to survive day to day, that view is your luxury. Food is important to your health, and when you are not getting the proper nutrients, your health suffers.

The demographic characteristics of the senior population has been changing over time. The rise in diversity and the geographic placement of seniors can provide an opportunity to examine their use of the social program SNAP. Characteristics of food insecurity such a geography and race correlate with higher rates of food insecurity and as these same characteristics continue to grow in the senior population. Since seniors have the lowest rates of SNAP participation versus other age groups, and their rates of food insecurity continue to grow it is important to examine what characteristics impact the likelihood of SNAP take up among this population.

Rather than adhering to a strict set of stereotypical rules regarding eligibility, caseworkers should be give more flexibility and latitude to determine eligibility based on each individual’s unique circumstances, such as student status or unemployment situation. Additionally, individuals in the SNAP program should be given more access to programs and resource that could help them escape whatever situation that caused them to require SNAP to begin with, such as the TRA, a benefit extended to those collecting unemployment benefits. In a CATO Policy Analysis article by Michael Tanner he points out that “according to the USDA nearly 18 million American households remain food insecure” and the food stamp program needs reform. (Snap Failure; The Food Stamp Program Needs Reform, 2013, pg. 1) Currently, the law only allows students to receive SNAP if they have a minimum of a 6 hour school load plus work 20 hours and get paid for work. (Points of Eligibility, 2010, Chapter 5 Section 501). These requirements are more than the standard requirements of a SNAP applicant and these requirements need reformed to be more reasonable for more people to get off of the government treadmill. The regular standards for a one person non-child SNAP applicant only has to work 20 hours a week and employment can be on a paid or unpaid basis. The regular standards for a SNAP applicant do not include any school requirement. (Points of Eligibility,

The SNAP program is able to help many families have food security, making them able to alleviate many of these issues. Food security becomes an even bigger issue with increasing rates of unemployment. As unemployment rates and need for assistance have been rising, so have participants, with the number of participants rising from 17 million in 2000 to 45 million in 2011 (Karger & Stoesz, 2014). However, despite a decrease in unemployment rates from 2003- 2007, the number of people living in poverty rose 4%, which contributed to a 22% increase in SNAP caseloads during that period (Andrews & Smallwood, 2012). When benefit levels were increased to reflect the needs of the 2007 recession, SNAP participation rose 3%, food insecurity prevalence rates dropped 2.2%, and very low food security prevalence rates dropped 2% (Nord & Prell,

Although the Food Stamp Program is universal and selective, it is a great program to help the poor. Patti Landers (2007) stated: to be qualified for Food Stamps, “households [members] must have gross and net incomes below 130% and 100% of the poverty threshold, respectively” (p. 1946). Another study from the Florida Food Stamp Program also stated that “Family groups must have income and assets below the program standards, which includes meeting the poverty guideline of the federal government” (Program Description). It also says that family must cooperate with Child Support Enforcement agencies and food stamp participants must be a citizen of the United States or a holder of a registration alien card and they must be a resident of the

In 2009, out of all immigrant households, legal and illegal, with children (under 18) 57 percent used at least one welfare program, compared native households with children that came in about 39 percent. Fifty-two percent of households with children headed by legal immigrants were estimated to used at least one welfare program in 2009, compared to 71 percent for illegal immigrant households with children. Illegal immigrants generally receive benefits on behalf of their U.S.-born children. Due to low education levels more than half of the working immigrant households with children still accessed the welfare system during 2009 (Camarota). Cutting down on the amount of immigrants into the country can help to increase benefits for American citizens. This includes but is not limited to: food assistance, Medicaid, cash assistance, and public and subsidized housing.