Halt In Snap Benefits Will Hurt Millions Of Rural Families

By Sarah Melotte and Tim Marema

The Daily Yonder

The region successful nutrient stamp benefits that will deed Saturday, November 1 will disproportionately wounded agrarian families. 

Other groups that will beryllium much affected by nan Trump administration’s frost connected benefits are households pinch children and residents of nan halfway counties of nan nation’s larger municipality areas.

These findings are based connected a Daily Yonder study of data from nan American Community Survey conducted by nan Census Bureau.

Funding for nan Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known arsenic nutrient stamps, is halting because Congress has not approved a spending measure and nan Trump administration, dissimilar erstwhile administrations, has refused to usage contingency costs to support nan programme moving during nan authorities shutdown.

Rural families apical nan database of groups that will beryllium affected by nan frost successful SNAP benefits. The Daily Yonder recovered that 13.7% of agrarian households person SNAP benefits, compared to 11.4% of metropolitan households.

But nan communicative is much analyzable than simply a rural/urban split, arsenic nan chart beneath shows.

Credit: Sarah Melotte/The Daily Yonder

Although agrarian households are much apt to person SNAP benefits, nan residents of nan halfway counties of awesome and medium-sized metropolitan areas person akin information rates. In halfway counties of awesome metros (populations supra 1 million), 13.1% of households person SNAP benefits, while 12.7% of halfway counties successful medium-sized metros (populations of 250,000 to nether 1 million) do.

The areas slightest apt to beryllium receiving SNAP benefits are suburbs of some awesome and medium-sized metro areas. Only 9.1% of households successful suburban counties of awesome metros person SNAP benefits, and 10.5% of suburban counties successful medium-sized metros do.

Households pinch Children

Our study besides recovered that households pinch children are acold much apt to person SNAP benefits. Nationally, households pinch children dress up astir 30% of full households, while they comprise almost half (47%) of each households that person SNAP. This inclination held existent crossed municipality and agrarian counties.

The disproportionate complaint of households pinch children that person SNAP benefits is apt nan consequence of a operation of factors. Eligibility for nutrient stamps is based connected income (typically 130% of nan Federal Poverty Level, which comes retired to about $2,221 a period for a family of three) and family size. Households pinch much members person a higher income period to suffice for assistance because location are much mouths to feed. Also, residents who do not person dependents look further restrictions to participating successful nan program.

Credit: Sarah Melotte/The Daily Yonder

The halt successful SNAP benefits comes connected nan heels of nan astir month-long national authorities shutdown brought connected by gridlocked negotiations complete nan Trump administration’s 2025 fund reconciliation bill. On October 10, nan USDA told nan authorities agencies that administer SNAP to halt nan programme until further notice, citing concerns complete insufficient funds. Twenty-five states are suing nan Trump management complete its refusal to support nan programme funded during nan shutdown.

The Trump management says that nan program’s contingency costs cannot beryllium utilized to screen regular benefits, but the Center connected Budget and Policy Priorities states that this position contradicts “the rule and anterior practice.” During past authorities shutdowns, including during Trump’s first term, contingency costs person been used to support SNAP benefits available. 

Nearly 15 cardinal households (2.4 cardinal of which are rural) will suffer SNAP benefits if nan programme runs dry. 

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