What’s Happening to Food Stamps: A Closer Look at Changes

It’s a question many families are asking: what’s happening to food stamps? For millions of people across the country, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more commonly known as food stamps, is a vital lifeline that helps put food on the table. But like many government programs, SNAP often goes through changes, updates, and sometimes, even big overhauls. Understanding these shifts is important for anyone who uses the program or knows someone who does.

The Big Picture: Benefits Are Shifting

If you’ve been wondering what’s happening to food stamps, the most significant recent change is the ending of extra benefits that were put in place during the pandemic. The extra emergency allotments for SNAP benefits, which had provided additional financial support to households, officially ended in early 2023. This means many families saw their monthly food assistance go back to pre-pandemic levels, which can be a big adjustment.

Benefit Amounts Adjusting to Normal

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government increased SNAP benefits for everyone to help families deal with the tough economic times. This meant many people got the maximum amount for their household size, or at least an extra $95. It was a big help for a lot of people struggling with job losses or higher prices.

Now that the emergency period is over, those extra benefits have stopped. This doesn’t mean food stamps are gone entirely, but the amount people receive each month has generally gone down to what it would have been before the pandemic. This can be a shock for families who got used to having that extra money for groceries.

The actual amount a family receives now depends on several things:

• How many people are in their household
• Their total income
• Certain expenses, like rent or childcare

So, while the program continues, the “new normal” for benefit amounts is closer to what it was a few years ago, which means less money for many households.

Work Requirements Making a Comeback

Another important thing that’s happening to food stamps involves work rules. For a while, some work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents (often called ABAWDs) were paused. This meant that certain people didn’t have to meet specific work or training hours to keep their benefits.

However, these work requirements are now back in many places, and some new rules have been added. This means if you’re an adult between certain ages, without kids or a disability, you might need to show that you’re working, looking for a job, or participating in a work training program for a certain number of hours each week to keep getting food stamps.

Here are some common ways to meet work requirements:

1. Working at least 20 hours a week.
2. Participating in a job training program.
3. Volunteering for a certain number of hours.

There are still exemptions for people who are disabled, pregnant, or caring for young children. But for others, meeting these work rules is now a necessary step to continue receiving SNAP.

Who Can Get Help? Eligibility Rules

The basic rules for who can get food stamps haven’t completely changed, but it’s always good to remember what they are, especially as other parts of the program shift. Generally, eligibility depends on your household’s income and how many people live together.

Most families need to have a gross income (before taxes and deductions) below 130% of the federal poverty level. There are also net income limits (after certain deductions) and sometimes asset limits (how much money you have in savings or investments).

Here’s a simple example of how income limits can vary (these are just examples and actual numbers change yearly):

It’s important to check with your state’s SNAP office for the exact and most current numbers, as they can update annually. If you’re unsure if you qualify, applying is often the best way to find out, as there are many different rules and deductions that can affect eligibility.

Buying Groceries Online with SNAP

One positive change that gained a lot of speed during the pandemic is the ability to use SNAP benefits to buy groceries online. Before, you almost always had to go into a store and swipe your EBT card. Now, in many states, you can use your food stamp benefits to order groceries from participating stores’ websites or apps for pickup or delivery.

This has made shopping much easier for people who might have trouble getting to a store, like those without transportation, people with disabilities, or parents with young children. It also helps reduce contact, which was especially important during the pandemic.

The benefits of online SNAP shopping include:

• Convenience for those with limited transportation.
• Access to a wider variety of stores, sometimes.
• Easier budgeting by seeing your total before checkout.
• Reduced physical effort for people with mobility issues.

Not all stores offer this, and you usually can’t use your SNAP benefits to pay for delivery fees, only the food itself. But it’s a growing option that makes using food stamps more modern and accessible.

Food Costs and Inflation’s Impact

While benefit amounts might have gone back to normal, what’s happening to food stamps feels different because of something else: inflation. The cost of groceries has gone up quite a bit over the past couple of years. So, even if your SNAP benefits are at their normal level, they might not stretch as far as they used to.

This means that families receiving food stamps are feeling a squeeze. The money that used to buy enough food for a week might now only last for a few days, forcing families to make tough choices about what to buy and how to make meals stretch.

Rising costs affect almost everything you buy at the grocery store:

• Meat and poultry
• Dairy products like milk and cheese
• Fruits and vegetables
• Even pantry staples like bread and pasta

This challenge is a big reason why many people are finding it harder to manage, even with the help of food stamps. The program’s goal is to help low-income individuals afford healthy food, but when food prices soar, even assistance can feel insufficient.

States Making Their Own Choices

Even though SNAP is a federal program, states actually have a lot of say in how it’s run and what some of the specific rules are. This means what’s happening to food stamps can look a little different depending on where you live. Some states might offer additional programs or have different ways of calculating benefits or applying rules.

For example, during the pandemic, some states chose to extend emergency allotments for a longer period than others. States can also have different rules about how much income or assets a household can have and still qualify for SNAP, especially for certain groups like the elderly or disabled.

Here are a few areas where states might have flexibility:

1. Setting broader categorical eligibility.
2. Offering specific state-funded supplements.
3. Implementing different workfare or training programs.

It’s always a good idea to check with your local state SNAP office or their website to understand the specific rules and any extra help that might be available in your area. What’s true in one state might not be true in another.

Looking Ahead: What Else Might Change?

The discussions around what’s happening to food stamps are ongoing. Lawmakers in Washington D.C. are always talking about potential changes, especially when it comes to things like funding, eligibility, and work requirements. These talks often happen during debates about the federal Farm Bill, which is a big piece of legislation that gets updated every few years and includes rules for SNAP.

Future changes could involve tightening or loosening eligibility rules, adjusting benefit amounts, or changing the types of foods that can be purchased with SNAP. These decisions are often part of larger political debates about government spending and how best to support families in need.

Here’s a quick look at potential future discussion points:

Staying informed about these discussions is important, as any new laws could further change how food stamps work for millions of Americans.

The world of food stamps is constantly moving, with changes in benefit amounts, work rules, and even how you can shop for groceries. While the core mission of SNAP remains to help low-income families afford nutritious food, understanding these shifts is key. Staying connected with your local SNAP office or reliable news sources will help you keep up with what’s happening to food stamps and ensure you or your family can navigate the program effectively.