Feeding America Warns That Cuts To SNAP Will Affect Millions Of Low Income Households

CHICAGO, June 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This week the House is considering cutting $21 Billion from the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly known as food stamps.)  Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization, warns that cuts of this magnitude would have devastating consequences for millions of low-income Americans:

• The cuts would eliminate about 8 billion meals.
• To put this in perspective, every food bank in the Feeding America network would have to distribute an additional 4 million meals every year for the next 10 years to replace the meals lost in the House Farm Bill.
• The proposed $21 billion in cuts to SNAP proposed by the House would result in lost meals that food banks and other charities simply CANNOT make up.
• The House Farm bill would cause 2 million individuals to lose their SNAP benefits entirely.
• Benefits would decrease by about $90 per month for 850,000 households.
• About 210,000 kids would lose free school meals, because their eligibility is tied to their families SNAP.
• While it is true that about 1 in 7 Americans currently receive food stamp benefits, this is generally linked to the fact that 1 in 7 American also live at or below the poverty level, which is $19,530 for a family of three.
• Nearly 50% of households enrolled in the food stamp program survive on household incomes that are less than HALF of the federal poverty line.
• 1 in 5 households receiving SNAP benefits have no other income of any kind. 
• 76% of SNAP households include a child, a senior, or someone who is disabled.
• 44% of SNAP benefits go to children.
• Even if Congress makes no changes to SNAP, benefits will decline for all participants on November 1 when the ARRA benefit boost expires, falling on average by about $25 for a family of three.

About Feeding America
Feeding America is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 37 million people through 61,000 food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate.  Together we can solve hunger. Visit http://www.feedingamerica.org/. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FeedingAmericaor follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

Contact:
Ross Fraser
312.641.6422

SOURCE Feeding America