The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) is one of the most important social service programs in the United States, keeping millions of lower-income families above the poverty line while reducing levels of food insecurity. The program was expanded in 2020 at the onset of the pandemic.
Now that those additional benefits ended, hunger-fighting groups expect a surge in demand at food banks and warn SNAP recipients may fall back into poverty.
Americans who struggle to afford healthy food for their families will soon receive a much-needed boost. In a historic move, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recalculated how Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are determined. As a result, the average SNAP recipient will see an increase of $36.24 per person per month, beginning on October 1, 2021.
For the hardworking families served at Crisis Assistance Ministry, and millions of others like them across the country, the American Rescue Plan of 2021 has the potential to be life changing.
Imagine receiving a well-deserved raise at work, only to discover that it drives your struggling family further into financial distress.
