Understanding the future of food stamps

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As it stands, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or most commonly known as the program that provides “food stamps,” is under scrutiny and on its way to reform.
SNAP is intended for people with low income, part-time workers, the disabled, elderly, and other household needs, and is an essential program for tens of millions of United States’ citizens, but it is criticized for its seeming lack of restrictions towards applicants. There are many prejudices against SNAP that insinuate that it is used and abused by non-citizens, people addicted to drugs, and lazy people, and despite changes in recent years to revamp the standards and qualifications for SNAP applications, these sorts of accusations are still common.
As more citizens apply each year SNAP, this belief that it is a service abused by people undeserving continues to thrive. Harsh criticism of the leniency that SNAP has on its applicants has caused SNAP to become more restrictive, and require more from its applicants, such as community service, which low-income workers and people with disabilities cannot afford to do. This stereotype that people who use SNAP benefits are probably not citizens, drug abusers, or simply lazy has shifted the attitude of SNAP, and has left out able-bodied adults without dependents who may need the services of SNAP for a variety of reasons. This stereotype is offensive to the homeless people, low-income workers, and people with mental and physical disability that require the services of SNAP to survive.
SNAP allows access to food and water to accepted applicants, and that should already be a human right. Our congress are currently looking at changing SNAP once again, and not for the better for people who need the services of SNAP to live. Wider restrictions are looking to be made, and projected $150 billion budget cuts could transform SNAP from an entitlement into a grant program as soon as 2021.
As it stands, without public opposition, SNAP as an entitlement and as an essential service could soon be dismantled and leave millions without necessary resources to survive.

For more information, check out:
http://blogs.umb.edu/mccormack-speaks/category/vulnerable-populations/
https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/house-2017-budget-plan-would-slash-snap-by-more-than-150-billion-over-ten



Gillis Sorg

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