Trump administration seeks to cut 3 million people from food aid
The administration of US President Donald Trump has proposed a plan to limit food stamp eligibility that would cut about 3.1 million people from the aid program, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The Trump administration aims to cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility for people who already receive federal and state aid, USDA officials said.
“Some states are taking advantage of loopholes that allow people to receive the SNAP benefits who would otherwise not qualify and for which they are not entitled,” Perdue told reporters on a conference call on Monday.
Currently, 43 US states allow residents to automatically become eligible for food stamps if they receive benefits from another federal program known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, according to the USDA.
The agency wants to change that by requiring people who receive TANF benefits to pass a review of their income and assets to determine whether they are also eligible for free food from SNAP, officials said.
SNAP provides free food to some 40 million Americans, or about 12 percent of the total US population.
The liberal-leaning Center For American Progress advocacy group said the proposal would hurt the poor “by forcing states to take food assistance away from those with even modest savings of a few thousand dollars,” and raise administrative costs for states.
In 2016, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said there were concerns the move would eliminate benefits for households in difficult financial situations and increase the complexity and time needed to process SNAP applications.
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