The Day

Trump proposal would cut food stamps for thousands

Many children would lose access to school meals if rule is implemente­d

- By ANA RADELAT and JENNA CARLESSO

The Trump administra­tion’s proposed rule to tighten eligibilit­y for food stamps could curtail the benefit for more than 11,000 Connecticu­t residents — a blow to the elderly, children and working poor, anti-hunger advocates say.

The administra­tion’s proposal for the Supplement­al Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, would rein in what’s known as broad-based categorica­l eligibilit­y, which has allowed 43 states, including Connecticu­t, to expand the number of low-income residents who qualify for food stamps.

Agricultur­e Secretary Sonny Perdue said the policy is a “loophole” that needs to be closed because it has allowed states to bypass “important eligibilit­y guidelines.”

But anti-hunger advocates say it is needed, especially in states like Connecticu­t, where the cost of living is high, and they expressed alarm Tuesday about the proposed changes.

“It’s horrible,” said Robin Lamott Sparks, executive director of End Hunger Connecticu­t! “There are a lot of families who are going to be hurt by this.”

Connecticu­t currently allows those who earn up to 185 percent of the federal poverty level to enroll in SNAP. Some states have set a cap at 200 percent. The USDA’s new rule would halt states’ ability to distribute food stamps to people earning more than 130 percent of poverty guidelines, which is $33,475 for a family of four.

If the proposed rule is finalized — it could be modified after a public comment period — an asset limit of $2,250 also would be imposed on nearly all recipients.

The Connecticu­t Department of Social Services estimates there are about 11,000 state residents who have a gross income of 131 percent of the poverty level or higher and would be at risk of losing their benefits. Currently about 364,000 state residents receive food stamps.

The state agency also said that since Connecticu­t does not request or capture asset informatio­n for the majority of SNAP-enrolled households, there is no way to immediatel­y determine how many additional residents would lose their foods stamps for failing a re-instituted asset test.

“This would have an extremely negative impact on the ability of thousands of low-income Connecticu­t residents to access food assistance through the SNAP program,” DSS spokesman David Dearborn said.

Cost-benefit analysis

In a cost-benefit analysis, the USDA estimates that tightening the policy would cut 3.1 million people nationally from the program, saving taxpayers about $1.9 billion a year. The USDA said the proposed change also “may negatively impact food security.”

The USDA said expansion of eligibilit­y in states like Connecticu­t has opened the door for fraud and abuse, making it too easy for people to receive benefits that should only go to those who truly need them. Officials in the department have pointed to a Minnesota man with a net worth of more than $1 million who applied for and received food stamps.

Because children in families that receive food stamps also qualify for free or reduced-price school meals, Deb Polun, executive director of the Connecticu­t Associatio­n for Community Action, said the proposed rule would have a ripple effect.

“This proposal could cause thousands of people in Connecticu­t — children, older adults, people with disabiliti­es and working families — to lose SNAP benefits, and could jeopardize access to school lunches for many low-income students,” Polun said.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District, a champion of the SNAP program, said about 500,000 children would lose access to school meals if the rule were implemente­d.

“President Trump and Secretary Perdue are waging a war against the most vulnerable people in our country,” she said.

DeLauro said the “heartless” rule was drafted “in a desperate attempt to implement these cruel provisions because Congress rejected them in last year’s Farm Bill.”

Connecticu­t Attorney General William Tong is weighing a legal response.

“This is another cruel and pointless policy from President Trump,” he said. “The Trump administra­tion has no problem wasting taxpayer dollars on tax breaks for the rich, gratuitous parades and golf outings, but decides to cut corners when it comes to food for families in need?”

“We will do everything we can to fight this rule on behalf of Connecticu­t’s most vulnerable families,” he said.

Ana Radelat and Jenna Carlesso are reporters for The Connecticu­t Mirror (www.ctmirror.org). Copyright 2019 © The Connecticu­t Mirror. aradelat@ctmirror.org jcarlesso@ctmirror.org

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