June is an important month for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Each June, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prices the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) — a bare-bones market basket — to calculate the maximum SNAP allotment for the upcoming federal fiscal year (which runs from October through September). USDA considers this TFP pricing in June a cost-of-living adjustment for SNAP benefits.
A recent FRAC Chat reported that the federal fiscal year 2018 SNAP eligibility-to-participation gap, or the “SNAP gap,” was around 18 percent. That means that nearly one in five individuals eligible for SNAP missed out on benefits. Now we have state-by-state data on SNAP participation rates overall and for low-income households, including those that are employed.
Communities of Strength is this year’s theme for Older Americans Month. There are many ways to build community strength. Tackling the growing food insecurity among older adults is foundational to achieving active aging and wellness.
The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS) just released new data regarding participation rates in SNAP between fiscal years (FY) 2016–2018. Of concern is the 18 percent gap between those who were eligible under federal rules in an average month in FY 2018 to receive SNAP versus those who actually participated in the program. While 36 million eligible individuals participated, another 8 million did not. Let’s explore a few of the many possible explanations for this SNAP gap.
On April 28, President Biden released the American Families Plan, a comprehensive plan that would help ensure that children have access to the nutrition they need year-round. These provisions would help eliminate summer childhood hunger and ensure access to free school meals to millions of students from low-income households. Additionally, this legislation would increase the number of high-poverty schools that can offer free meals to all students, support school nutrition operations and their efforts to provide healthy and appealing school meals, and eliminate unnecessary financial burdens on millions of households with low incomes.
