FRAC Chat

According to the latest monthly figures (from March 2021), on average more than 42.4 million Americans — or approximately 1 in 8 Americans — participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This increased participation reflects the public health and economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. By comparison, in the pre-pandemic month of February 2020, SNAP participants numbered just under 36.9 million. 

Now a new report from the National Grocers Association (NGA) underscores the important economic impact that SNAP has made during COVID-19 at national, state, and congressional district levels.

Part 1 of this series provided an overview of the Thrifty Food Plan and the three other food plans developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

The monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allotment is based on the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), which was last updated in 2006. Despite that revision, research continues to show that SNAP recipients cannot afford an adequate diet with their SNAP allotment. The inadequacy of SNAP benefits severely limits the program’s ability to have even stronger positive impacts on economic security, food security, health, and well-being. SNAP benefits are inadequate, in part, because they are based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) impractical and flawed TFP.

This blog is the first in a two-part series on the Thrifty Food Plan. 

The monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allotment is based on the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), which was last updated in 2006. Despite that revision, research continues to show that SNAP recipients cannot afford an adequate diet with their SNAP allotment. The inadequacy of SNAP benefits severely limits the program’s ability to have even stronger positive impacts on economic security, food security, health, and well-being. SNAP benefits are inadequate, in part, because they are based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) impractical and flawed TFP.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been issuing a series of annual reports on the demographic and economic characteristics of households and individuals participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The latest report, covering fiscal year 2019, was released at the end of March and provides useful information for advocates, policymakers, and other stakeholders. The data are particularly helpful in pushing back against harmful and damaging stereotypes about SNAP participants.

Gaps in participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) leave too many eligible people without the nutrition assistance for which they are qualified. Barriers range from a lack of awareness that help is available or how to apply, to resources not being available in an accessible language, to stigma. A new memorandum from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) encourages states to prioritize SNAP outreach and application assistance, including by leveraging 50/50 federal matching funds to pay for those efforts.