A hunger cliff is hitting.
Soon, millions of people who rely on support from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will see their benefits drop – in many cases, dramatically.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress increased SNAP benefits through Emergency Allotments (EAs) to help mitigate America’s deepening hunger crisis, but these temporary boosts are ending.
As of March 1, 2023, all SNAP recipients will suffer cuts to their benefits each month.
Combined with soaring food prices and skyrocketing heating, transportation, and housing costs, our nation will face a hunger cliff. The average SNAP benefits will fall to a meager $6 a person a day.
The steepest cliff will be for older adults at the minimum benefit level who will have their monthly SNAP benefits fall from $281 to $23. In addition, on May 11, 2023, the COVID-19 federal public health emergency (PHE) will end. This will have a negative effect on Able Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) and college students.
Further resources on the PHE are below.
Getting the Word Out: State Best Practices
- California
- End of COVID Flexibilities Client Resources
- Find flyers, frequently asked questions, and sample social media from California’s Department of Social Services
- End of CalFresh Emergency Allotments FAQ
- When Emergency Allotments End CalFresh Flyer
- End of COVID Flexibilities Client Resources
- Colorado
- Colorado SNAP Emergency Allotment benefits ending resources
- Find frequently asked questions and tips for families from Colorado’s Department of Human Services
- Colorado SNAP Emergency Allotment benefits ending resources
- Massachusetts
- Federal SNAP Emergency Allotment Ending Toolkit
- Find flyers, social media text and graphics, and sample robocall, -text, and -email from the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance
- Federal SNAP Emergency Allotment Ending Toolkit
- New York
- Hunger Solutions New York COVID-19 Updates
- Find SNAP-related updates from Hunger Solutions New York
- Hunger Solutions New York COVID-19 Updates
- Pennsylvania
- End of SNAP Extra Payments Communications Toolkit
- Find newsletter messaging, social media samples, and printables from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.
- End of SNAP Extra Payments Communications Toolkit
Mitigating the Loss of EAs: State Legislation
- Massachusetts
- New Jersey
Tools You Can Use In Your Advocacy
Emergency Allotment Toolkit
Explore the Communications Toolkit
Opportunities to Ensure Benefit Adequacy Through Administrative Advocacy
- USDA Waivers & Guidance
- Time Requirement
- Resources for Public Health Emergency (PHE) Unwinding
Spread the Word: Share FRAC Chat Blogs
Offset in Omnibus Would Cut SNAP and
Hasten Hunger Cliff for Millions
“Premature cuts to SNAP EAs would hasten the hunger cliff for millions of people with low incomes as soon as March 2023. SNAP recipients of all ages will lose benefits, but the steepest cliff will be for older adults at the minimum benefit level who will have their monthly SNAP benefits fall from $281 to $23.”
Priorities for Closing SNAP Gaps and
Addressing Looming Hunger Cliff
“New guidance from U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) urges state Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) agencies to leverage federal SNAP reimbursement funds for SNAP outreach that prioritizes work to help participants transition to regular intake rules after emergency allotments end.”
A Strengthen SNAP Agenda to Address the Hunger Cliff
– Part 1, Part 2
This two-part blog summarizes the array of SNAP aid tied to the duration of the PHE declaration (except for Emergency Allotments), focuses on procedural flexibilities available during COVID-19, and presents strategies to promote efficient and equitable SNAP access and good customer service before, during, and beyond any post-PHE transitional period.
New Research Shows Many Low-Income Households Have
Little Financial Cushion as Hunger Cliff Looms
“The responses of Propel SNAP customers surveyed in November 2021 and recent data analyses reported by The New York Times underscore the precarious financial situation many low-income households face”
Addressing the Looming Hunger Cliff:
Improve SNAP Deductions
Households with low incomes face hard choices between paying for food and paying for other basics such as shelter and medicine. Those choices will get even harder for participants when the COVID-19 health emergency ends and, with it, the SNAP Emergency Allotments that have boosted benefits temporarily. Most SNAP participants will lose an average of $82 a month.
On the Road to the 2023 Farm Bill: Stakeholder and
Public Support for SNAP Investments
“Unless Congress takes action, SNAP Supplemental Allotments, suspension of SNAP time limits on unemployed and underemployed adults, and reduced barriers to SNAP for college students all are slated to sunset.”
New Surveys Find Clear Public Support for
SNAP Expansions
“Two surveys released this month have found strong public support for enhanced Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding.”
A Lifeline During COVID-19: The Impact of SNAP
Boosts for Older Adults
“During the interviews, the older adults shared key ways the increased SNAP benefits had positive impacts on their lives, including on their food purchases, health, ability to pay bills, juggle other expenses, and weather the COVID-19 pandemic”
Need further assistance? Please contact FRAC’s SNAP team.