Mike Thinks: SNAP Recipients Need Online Access Now -- Start Working On It Congress and USDA!!

During the best of times in our society, citizens who rely on social benefit programs such as the Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program (SNAP) tend to draw the short straw. That is to say, benefits are not easily manageable -- which results in unnecessary complications and, in the end, significant cuts to the program. And that is sad. Why do programs intended to help those most in need fail them time and time again? Below is yet another example of the failure of the government to manage a program that is vital to Americans.

I have written over the last year about attempts by the Trump administration to cut funding for the SNAP program. As mentioned above, SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. As of 2018, 40 million Americans rely on SNAP for food assistance -- 9.2% Additionally, with the emergence of the coronavirus, the number of SNAP recipients might very well increase. Especially if the spread of the virus continues for months (up to years).

The realization of the present society in which we live calls for immediate action to bring SNAP benefits to all recipients using current technology. If a person can shop online for groceries, then any SNAP recipient should be able to use their Electronic Benefits Transfer card (EBT card) to purchase goods online too. Currently, there is no avenue for SNAP recipients to use home delivery avenues with their EBT cards. This is ludicrous.

Reporting from Politico Agriculture has shed light on the deficiencies of the SNAP benefit distributions:

THE SOCIAL DISTANCING GAP FOR SNAP USERS: The coronavirus pandemic is shining a spotlight on a widespread problem for millions of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients: Their food stamps are no good online.

Only a handful of states allow SNAP benefits to be used in e-commerce, and only through designated retailers like Amazon, Safeway, Walmart and a few others. With enrollment in the nutrition assistance program ballooning as businesses shutter and workers are laid off, nonprofit groups are lobbying Congress and USDA to relax the restrictions on online SNAP use, reports Pro Ag's Liz Crampton this a.m.

The lack of online SNAP options is especially glaring as other consumers pile into grocery delivery programs, which are booked up across the country as shoppers quarantine at home and stores limit their hours and crowd sizes. Meanwhile, SNAP users are frequently more vulnerable to the virus itself, like elderly recipients or those with disabilities.

Not exactly a snap: USDA said it will help states interested in offering SNAP purchases online, but it's unclear how quickly the department can make that happen. It took years to set up the pilot program in the 2014 farm bill, as officials grappled with major technical hurdles like verifying purchases and preventing fraud. Another hurdle is that SNAP benefits can't be used to cover the cost of delivery or service fees, which quickly add up.

Lawmakers and anti-hunger lobbyists are also demanding more funds for SNAP in the next economic relief package. More than 130 members sent a letter to House and Senate leaders asking them to prioritize a 15 percent expansion in maximum SNAP benefits; raise the monthly minimum benefit from $16 to $30; and block the Trump administration's regulatory actions over the last two years aiming to crack down on program participation.

Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) introduced legislation that would encourage grocers to deliver to SNAP recipients and allow them to swipe their electronic benefit transfer cards at the door, along with providing $500 million for state agencies to reimburse retailers for delivery fees.

The letter mentioned above, which was sent to Congress, is shown below:

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader McCarthy, Majority Leader McConnell, and Minority

Leader Schumer:

As you consider legislative priorities in any upcoming stimulus packages to address the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, we urge you to incorporate provisions that will address the needs of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants. SNAP is one of our country’s most vital social safety nets, and it will continue to play a critical role in reducing hunger, malnutrition, and poverty throughout the COVID-19 health crisis. In light of this significance, we urge you to incorporate provisions that will: (1) boost the maximum SNAP benefit by 15 percent; (2) increase the monthly minimum SNAP benefit from $16 to $30; and (3) place a hold on harmful rules proposed by the Executive Branch that weaken SNAP eligibility and benefits.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, a growing number of states are following guidance from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by encouraging social distancing and issuing stay-at-home orders. As a result, thousands of industries were interrupted, and millions of Americans were thrown into financial uncertainty. During this time of crisis, Americans must be able to turn to government benefits such as SNAP to put food on the table. In 2019, SNAP helped feed 38 million people across the country, but that number is likely to increase in the coming weeks and months, as a record-high 3.3 million people applied for unemployment benefits in just the last week.

The average SNAP benefit comes to approximately $1.40 per person per meal, and almost half of all SNAP families use up their entire benefit at the beginning of the month. At the height of the Great Recession in 2009, the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act helped prevent large increases in poverty by increasing the maximum SNAP benefit by 13.6 percent, totaling to $1.74 per person per meal. In order to mitigate the inevitable disruptions that the COVID-19 pandemic will bring, Congress must make a similar investment, by increasing maximum benefits by at least 15 percent. To that same effect, increasing the monthly minimum SNAP benefit from $16 to $30, will go a long way in helping single and family households keep food on the table.

Finally, Congress must also put a stop to harmful rules from the Executive Branch that will weaken SNAP eligibility and benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2019, October 2019, and December 2019 respectively, the Trump Administration published three rules that if enacted, will: (1) severely limit broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE) and effectively throw hundreds of thousands of children off of school meal participation; (2) strip states of their much needed flexibility to set their own Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) using state-based and current energy cost information; and (3) eliminate state flexibility to waive certain work requirements and exemptions for SNAP participants who are able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). The BBCE and ABAWDs rules circumvent congressional intent as laid-out in the 2018 Farm Bill and short of rescinding them, all three rules, at the very least should be stayed until the economy shows significant improvement.

We thank you for your consideration and close attention to these urgent matters.

Sincerely,

Food pantries, along with food shelters, have been hit especially hard during the pandemic. Volunteers and essential employees are not able to make it into work. This might be due to sickness associated with the coronavirus or just fear related to the spread of the virus. For those citizens with financial means, the problems are lessened. But for those who need financial assistance, then safely traveling to and from the grocery store might be a significant problem.

Again, if a person receives benefits from other organizations such as unemployment, services can use their EBT card like a debit card at a grocery store. Congress should demand that the USDA immediately initiate the ability to use EBT cards for online home grocery shopping too. The time has come to bring up to speed the program for those most in need. Additionally, the time has come to stop trying to defund a program that supports American families most in need. The Trump administration should stop any attempt to limit funding to this vital program. Congress should, in turn, not let any outside influence (such as the Trump administration or lobbyists) try to limit the funding. If anything, there should be an increase in funding based on need.

Related Blog Posts:

Trump Administration Kicks People Off of SNAP Funding And Offers No Work Assistance?

President Trump Goes After SNAP Recipients to Save Money?

How is the Implementation Of the FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act Going?

Surprise! American Consumers will pay for Chinese Tariffs!

Trump Administration Cuts Food Stamp Program For 3.1 Million People To Save $25 Billion Over 10 Years - Why?

Does The Public Have The Right To Know Where SNAP Money Is Spent?

Ralph Nader: Out of the Coronavirus Crisis Can Come Efficient Historic Changes for Justice