Say It Again: #HandsOffSNAP

USDA has published a proposed rule that will take food off the tables of 3.1 million struggling Americans. The rule proposes the effective elimination of Categorical Eligibility which will result in the complete elimination of SNAP assistance in households that are primarily working poor families with children, low-income seniors, and people with disabilities.

Categorical eligibility opens the doors to more low-income households, including those with modest savings, to apply for SNAP. All of these households must go through the rigorous process and scrutiny that all SNAP applicants undergo, documenting and proving that their net income-their income after deducting basic needs costs for medical expenses, housing, childcare, and utilities-is at or below poverty. In other words, categorical eligibility helps more people who are actually eligible for food assistance get that assistance when they otherwise would not be able to even apply.

Working poor families, seniors, and people with disabilities value categorical eligibility: these are all households with low wage earnings or fixed incomes provided by Social Security and disability benefits that can’t keep up with the basic costs of living but are often above 130% FPL (roughly $15,500/year for a household of 1). Categorical eligibility gives them a chance to prove that they are living in poverty and need food assistance. Without categorical eligibility, these households will lose SNAP, and will have to choose between food or other necessities.

Washington is one of 40 states that will be impacted by this proposed rule, and because we’ve used this option to its maximum effect, Washington is poised to be among the states that will be hit the hardest if this proposed rule change were to take effect. DSHS is still analyzing how many people will be impacted under the specific language of the proposed rule, but when categorical eligibility was threatened in the House Farm Bill, it was estimated that about 38,000 households or around 67,000 Washingtonians, would lose their SNAP assistance. These are almost entirely working poor households with children, seniors and people with disabilities. This is unconscionable, taking food off the tables of some of our most vulnerable.

Additionally, households with school-aged children will be hit twice by this proposed rule: kids that live in these households will lose their eligibility for school meals when their household is no longer eligible for SNAP.

The only alternative for these households will be their local food bank, but food banks already continue to see more people in need than before the recession, taking care of those who are finding jobs in this economy but whose earnings put SNAP and other food assistance out of reach. This proposed rule will deepen the need by dramatically increasing the number of households that will be left in this quagmire of hunger, and food banks cannot fill the gap. This is why we are calling on each of you to join us in speaking up once again to tell this Administration #HandsOffSNAP. Please submit your comment, opposing this rule change by the September 24 deadline.