Food stamp changes come at staggering human cost

The Trump administration has said it is merely closing a loophole in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and weeding out potential fraud. But in doing so, at least 125,000 Texans could be kicked off food stamps.

They would be among 3.1 million people nationwide who could lose access to food stamps under a proposed new rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This change would limit states’ ability to set eligibility requirements for food stamps, making it much more difficult for low-income families to qualify.

Although SNAP is a federal program, states distribute the money and determine eligibility. In Texas, the threshold is 165 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $42,000 for a family of four. The Trump administration’s proposed rule would set a national eligibility standard lower than what exists in many states: 130 percent of the poverty line, or about $33,000 for a family of four.

In June, Texas provided an average monthly payment of $260 to 1.5 million people. Some of those recipients were granted “categorical eligibility” automatically for SNAP because they were participating in the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which provides child care and work assistance. The proposed rule would eliminate that “categorical eligibility” provision.

But wait, there’s more. Under Texas law, SNAP participants can’t own a car worth more than $15,000. But the new rule would reduce that to $4,650. This has raised concerns because Texas law also requires SNAP recipients to work 30 hours a week to maintain their benefits, and it’s easier to get to work with a quality vehicle.

As Rachel Cooper of the left-leaning Center for Public Policy Priorities told the Texas Tribune, the proposed cap of $4,650 “is not going to buy you a car that won’t strand you on the side of the road.”

And finally, states would no longer be able to waive the provision that disqualifies households with assets greater than $2,250, or $3,500 if a member is older than 60 or disabled. Home equity and retirement accounts are excluded from the asset cap, which points to the real policy priorities here. The proposed rule penalizes families for saving for an emergency.

Proponents of these changes have cited the case of a wealthy man in Minnesota who took advantage of food stamps to prove a political point, but these changes clearly target working families, not millionaires tapping into the system. And they will come at immense human cost. It’s been estimated 256,000 children would be bounced from the free lunch program.

Why? Because in schools, any student who qualifies for food stamps can get free lunch without a separate application, a policy designed to eliminate red tape for families with hungry children. Schools with enough children who participate in food stamps and other anti-poverty services receive federal funding for universal free meals. San Antonio’s poorest school districts benefit from that provision.

Children who lose food stamps under the Trump administration’s policy would consequently lose their automatic eligibility for free lunches. Some schools could dip below the threshold that pays for universal free meals, although their concentrations of poverty would remain high.

It’s impossible to list all the studies that show eating right leads to better performance in school, or the studies that show the importance of academic success to a child trying to break the cycle of poverty.

Food stamps are a necessary buffer between poverty and hunger, and the program has plenty of controls. Nationwide, almost 5 percent of food stamp recipients earn more than the federal income limit, but they get lower monthly payments and still have to demonstrate their earnings fall below the poverty line after housing, child care and other basic expenses.

There are also limits on what people can buy and where food stamps can be used. But in impoverished food deserts such as South Bexar County, where obesity and diabetes rates are high even in children, the nutrition that food stamps provide is a lifeline.

President Donald Trump has made a lot of promises to low-income Americans, so why pursue a change that so clearly disaffects the working class? The administration has said these changes would net about $2 billion in savings, but at the incalculable cost of exacerbating hunger. Letters may also be mailed to Letters, Express-News, P.O. Box 2171, San Antonio, TX 78297. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Length? The shorter the better – long enough to make your point. All letters are subject to editing for length and clarity.