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The Trump Administration's Fiscal Year 2019 budget introduces a bold, new approach to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, designed to support low-wage working families, seniors with low incomes, and individuals with disabilities by assisting them in purchasing food.
Under the proposal, SNAP recipients who receive at least $90 per month (the majority of beneficiaries) would see approximately half of their benefits replaced with a USDA Foods package. This package would include shelf-stable items such as milk, ready-to-eat cereals, pasta, peanut butter, beans, canned fruits and vegetables, as well as meats, poultry, or fish—meaning fresh foods would be excluded. Additionally, the budget proposes a $213 billion cut to the program over the next decade.
As reported by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, SNAP currently assists 40 million people, with approximately 70 percent of recipients coming from families with children. More than a quarter of participants live in households that include seniors or individuals with disabilities. At present, SNAP beneficiaries receive an EBT card preloaded with benefits, which they can use at grocery stores and other authorized outlets. However, they are unable to purchase alcohol, cigarettes, vitamins, hot foods, or non-grocery items such as toilet paper or diapers.
While the administration argues that the new proposal is a “cost-effective approach,” there are concerns that it could cause significant challenges for individuals with food allergies, as well as those without permanent addresses where they can receive these boxes. Additionally, the associated costs of packaging and shipping could potentially drive up expenses.
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