food stamps Archives - The Minnesota Sun

Food Stamp Costs Are on the Way Down but Still Far Higher than Pre-Pandemic Days

August 18, 2024 The Center Square

The cost of food assistance in the U.S. has dropped from its peak during the pandemic, but is still 23% higher than it was during pre-pandemic times, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, what used to be called food stamps, peaked in costs December 2022 at $11.07 billion that month. That monthly cost dropped to $7.51 billion as of April 2024. There were about 41.6 million people collecting SNAP benefits as of April 2024.

Food Stamp Costs for a Family’s Meal Jump 31 Percent over Last Three Years

March 4, 2024 The Center Square

The monthly costs for the thrifty plan for a family of four participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is increasing by 31% over the last three years.

The United States Department of Agriculture stated the food stamp benefit amounts are based every year upon the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan.

Expert Estimates $25 Billion of Fraud Annually in Federal Food Stamp Program

October 3, 2023 The Center Square

A security expert says Congress should reduce food stamp fraud as it faces a Saturday deadline to renew the Farm Bill.

Haywood Talcove is the CEO of LexisNexis Risk Solutions’ Government Group, which provides fraud prevention tools to 26 state unemployment programs and 50 U.S. banks.

2023 Could See Highest Number of People on Food Stamps Since 2016

September 25, 2023 The Center Square

The 2023 fiscal year is on track to average the highest number of individuals on food stamps in the U.S. since 2016.

There were 42,329,101 on food assistance on average each month on through the first nine months of the fiscal year, as of June 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The fiscal year is completed at the end of September.

Federal Food Stamps Set Spending Records Post-Pandemic with Reauthorization Looming

August 28, 2023 The Center Square

The U.S. federal program formerly known as food stamps had peak spending levels in 2023 that were more than double pre-pandemic times.

Now, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is set to be reauthorized as it reaches the end of its five-year budgeting cycle.

2022 National Food Stamp Payment Error Rates Hit Nearly 12 Percent

July 9, 2023 The Center Square

For the first time since the COVID pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released the fiscal year 2022 national payment error rate for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The PER measures how accurately SNAP agencies determine benefit amounts and eligibility. A payment error means the agency either underpaid or overpaid the recipient, which can result from an error by the agency or a recipient or fraud.

U.S. Army Recommends Food Stamps for Soldiers Struggling with Inflation

September 10, 2022September 9, 2022 The Center Square

The U.S. army is recommending soldiers apply for SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, to help cover their rising costs from inflation.

The U.S. Army cites the higher prices on a range of goods because of inflation in its recently released official guidance.

Commentary: The Uncomfortable Truths About the Food Stamp Program

November 14, 2021November 13, 2021 Admin

A recent administrative action has permanently increased benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by 25 percent. Unfortunately, this historic boost fails to address the structural problems that plague this nearly 60-year-old program.

The official Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) webpage proudly proclaims that, “SNAP provides nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of needy families so they can purchase healthy food…”

To that admirable end, the program formerly known as food stamps distributed $79 billion to 40 million people last year. Yet this desire to provide wholesome food to needy families conflicts with clear evidence that wholesome food is not what they think they need. Whether they play by the rules or not, people receiving SNAP benefits currently spend between 70-100 percent of that benefit on things other than healthy food.

Increase in Food Stamp Benefits to Begin in October

October 3, 2021October 2, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

After a major update to the food stamp system, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), recipients will see a massive increase in food stamp handouts in the month of October, according to CNN.

Benefits will rise by approximately 27 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels, the largest such increase in the program’s history. Even after the special extension and increase that was implemented specifically due to the COVID-19 pandemic has expired, the regular handouts will go up due to a revision of the Thrifty Food Plan.

USDA: Error Rate in National Food Stamp Program Increases in 2019

July 10, 2020July 9, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is reporting an error rate of 7.36 percent for its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for fiscal year 2019.

Despite the error rate, and after state government shutdowns over the coronavirus, the federal government significantly extended emergency SNAP funding for states to distribute.

Congressional Committee Examines Trump Administration’s New Food Stamp Rules

February 10, 2020February 11, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

The U.S. House Committee on Oversight is holding hearings to analyze the Trump administration’s rule change designed to end automatic eligibility to the federal food stamp program for recipients of another federal welfare program.

Ellison Sues Trump Administration Over Food-Stamp Work Requirements

January 19, 2020January 18, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison joined 15 attorneys general and New York City in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration over changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps.

Gov. Walz Calls Trump ‘a Grinch’ While Discussing New Food Stamp Rules

December 24, 2019December 30, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz called President Donald Trump “a Grinch” while discussing new federal food stamp rules during a Monday event.

Nearly 700K Lose Access to Food Stamps Under New Eligibility Rules

December 6, 2019December 5, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

Nearly 700,000 Americans will lose their access to federal food stamps under new rules formalized by the Trump administration, the Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday.

Trump Administration Looks to Remove Ineligible People from Food Stamp Rolls

July 24, 2019July 23, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Whitney Tipton The United States Department of Agriculture proposed Monday eliminating a loophole in food stamp eligibility requirements that would cut 3.1 million people from the program and save $2.5 billion. Those who receive temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) will not longer be automatically eligible to get…

State Senator Looks to Change SNAP Requirements After Minnesota Millionaire Collected Food Stamps

June 22, 2019June 21, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

A Minnesota state senator wants to tighten the rules on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) after a local millionaire, in full compliance with the law, collected food stamps for more than a year. Rob Undersander was on Fox Business Thursday to explain how he pulled it off, noting…

Trump Admin Works Around Congress to Raise Work Requirements on Food Stamps

December 23, 2018December 23, 2018 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Tim Pearce The Trump administration is proposing to limit states’ ability to exempt welfare recipients of abiding by the work requirements in the U.S. food stamp program, the Department of Agriculture announced Thursday. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is pushing the reform to cut down on abuse within the…

Michigan Judge Orders Food Stamp Fraudsters to Write Publicly About Their Crimes

November 7, 2018November 7, 2018 Admin

U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn ordered four Bangladeshi brothers convicted of scamming Michigan and American taxpayers out of millions of dollars in food-stamp benefits to write about it in a local newspaper. Cohn ordered the men to run an ad admitting to their crimes, and pay for it themselves. “To…

Lancaster County Will Be Pennsylvania’s First Investigative Target Under New Program to Tackle Welfare Fraud

November 4, 2018November 4, 2018 Anna Marie Bolton

The Pennsylvania Office of Inspector General and the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office announced last week that they are joining forces to tackle welfare fraud, specifically food-stamp fraud. Commonly referred to as the food-stamp program, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has increasingly become a concern among law-enforcement officials.…

Will Tennessee’s New Plan To Break The Cycle Of Poverty Only Perpetuate It?

June 19, 2018June 18, 2018 John Bryant

Tennessee is increasingly adopting “a two-generation approach” to fighting poverty, which combines the focus on parents and children when it comes to food stamps and other cash assistance programs. The approach may indeed pay off and is being implemented across more and more states, yet, it still appears to be…