Latest news with #CBPP
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
5 people on SNAP share what the food program gets right — and wrong
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, helps one in eight Americans put food on the table, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). SNAP is a lifeline for many individuals, families and people with disabilities. More than 62% of SNAP recipients are part of families with children. In 2022, 20% of children under 18 nationwide were in families receiving SNAP benefits. More than 38% of SNAP recipients are from working families. And more than 37% of families receiving SNAP include someone who is disabled or elderly, according to the CBPP. 'Without SNAP, families miss meals. Kids show up to school hungry. Parents skip groceries to keep the lights on. We're not talking about convenience. We're talking about survival,' Erica Williams, executive director of the nonprofit A Red Circle and co-author of the peer-reviewed food policy brief Food Pricing and Consumer Choice, tells Yahoo. SNAP is crucial because 'it's the most direct tool we have to reduce hunger,' she says. Most of the families Williams works with tell her that they don't want to be on SNAP forever but need help while they 'get stable,' she points out. SNAP can be used to buy a variety of foods, including dairy products, meat, poultry, fish, fruits and vegetables and snack foods. However, the program has limitations. 'You can't buy hot food or household goods like soap and diapers,' Williams says. 'You also can't buy prepared meals, which means parents working two jobs can't just grab something healthy on the go. It reinforces exhaustion.' Although SNAP helps many people get by when they don't earn enough to buy groceries, it often isn't enough. Rising food costs and eligibility restrictions make it challenging for many SNAP recipients to meet their needs. Yahoo talked to five people about what being on SNAP is really like. Danielle, a single mother in Missouri, works full-time in administrative support. She started receiving SNAP benefits when her son Marcus, now 20, was a baby, and his father stopped paying child support. Today, Danielle works 40 hours a week and still receives SNAP benefits. Marcus, who is neurodivergent, lives at home while he takes classes at a community college and works about 15 hours a week. Yet, despite having two working adults in the house, Danielle and Marcus don't earn enough to feed themselves adequately. Danielle's SNAP benefits help, but they are still struggling. Marcus stopped receiving benefits when he turned 18 because he was in school full-time and wasn't working enough hours to qualify for SNAP. Now, Danielle has to feed herself and her son with SNAP benefits meant for one adult. 'I understand the rules,' Danielle tells Yahoo. However, she emphasizes that she's unwilling to let her son go hungry or drop out of school and have a chance at a more financially stable life. 'That means I skip meals so he doesn't have to,' she says. Danielle usually buys foods like dry pasta, rice and canned vegetables to stretch her grocery budget. Eggs are a rare luxury, and she relies on a nonprofit food bank for fresh produce. Most of Danielle and Marcus's diet is 'Heavy. Salty,' Marcus says. 'You feel full, then you crash. I get foggy. Slow. Food's supposed to be medicine,' Marcus tells Yahoo. However, his limited diet often makes him feel worse. 'We're both trying. But we're still hungry,' Danielle says. Danielle wants people to know that 'this isn't about laziness. It's not about people gaming the system. It's about working families, caregiving parents, students trying to get out and still falling short.' Like Danielle, Jessica is also a single mother living in Missouri. She's been on and off SNAP since 2012. She typically buys items like flour, cereal, cheese and salmon with her SNAP benefits. Occasionally, she buys fresh fruit and vegetables and treats like ice cream or chicken nuggets for her son. However, due to the higher cost of fruit and vegetables, Jessica often finds that her benefits aren't enough to support a healthy diet. To fill the gap, Jessica relies on nonprofits like A Red Circle. 'The biggest challenge of being on SNAP is finding affordable quality food,' Jessica tells Yahoo. Even though Jessica would like to feed her son a healthy diet, she laments that her SNAP benefits are often just enough to cover 'pantry fillers.' Another challenge to staying healthy on SNAP is that "you can't buy vitamins, medicine or supplements,' she says. That makes it harder to stay healthy in the long run, she explains. Nevertheless, SNAP is a lifeline for Jessica. 'Without SNAP, feeding my family would be incredibly hard. With the cost of living so high and wages so low, it would be a serious struggle,' she explains. 'SNAP is not charity. It's a stabilizing force,' she says. Megan, who lives alone and has chronic Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses, worked as a public servant in New York for 24 years. For her entire career, she helped others in need, including people struggling with mental illness and families whose loved ones were placed in child or adult protective services. Although Megan wanted to continue working, her health worsened, and she had to leave her job. Once Megan's savings ran out, she relied on local food pantries for food. When that wasn't enough, she applied for SNAP. Megan still visits food pantries. However, she uses her SNAP benefits to 'round out meals from the ingredients the food pantry provides,' she says. Since Megan usually gets canned and boxed goods from the food pantry, she usually uses her SNAP benefits to buy meat and produce. However, she notes that because of the high price of fresh fruit, produce 'feels like a luxury.' Moreover, although Megan tries to cook everything from scratch to save money, she keeps one or two pre-prepared meals on hand to eat when her illness flares and she's too fatigued to cook. 'I literally wouldn't be surviving without SNAP,' Megan tells Yahoo. 'Having SNAP has given me some peace of mind regarding access to food.' However, Megan is concerned because SNAP benefits don't automatically increase when grocery prices go up. Due to rising grocery prices, 'the SNAP benefits don't stretch as far in covering what's needed for a month,' she says. Megan is doing what she can to help with her recovery, but doesn't know when or if she will be able to return to work. 'Every fiber of me just wants to have my prior level of functioning back,' she says. 'I loved the work that I did. I loved my clients.' She adds: 'I'm hopeful that I will medically improve enough to be able to return to work and discontinue SNAP, but it will realistically be a few years, at best.' Until then, 'SNAP is a lifeline for me,' Megan says. Ryan Wilson, a disabled videographer from Colorado, was on SNAP for seven years. Like many people with disabilities, he had a hard time finding a job that paid him a living wage. 'The job market was and is tough,' Wilson tells Yahoo. When he wasn't earning enough to cover his basic expenses, SNAP helped him get by. He told Yahoo that without SNAP, 'I would have had a hard time paying for my essentials' like food and medical care. However, Wilson emphasizes that SNAP helped him survive but not thrive. When he was on SNAP, he couldn't use his benefits to buy necessities other than food. Additionally, he could only use his benefits at select locations like big box stores, even though smaller grocery stores were often closer. 'That is an inconvenience, especially for someone with a disability that impacts their mobility,' Wilson says. Now Wilson runs a video production company called Team Trust Productions. His income has increased, and he no longer needs SNAP to ensure he can access enough food. Wilson is grateful he received SNAP when he needed it, but he never expected to receive SNAP benefits forever. 'It's a temporary option. It does not have to be a permanent solution to financial uncertainty,' he says. Although Laura, a single woman from Pennsylvania, worked full-time, her income wasn't enough to support herself. For three years, Laura received SNAP benefits to help her get by. Eventually, she started earning a higher salary and no longer needed SNAP to buy food. However, in early 2025, Laura lost her job. Once her unemployment benefits ran out, she started receiving SNAP benefits again. Without SNAP, 'I would definitely not be eating three meals a day,' Laura tells Yahoo. She usually uses her SNAP benefits to buy frozen fruits and vegetables, chicken thighs and seasonal fruit and vegetables, which she finds more affordable than out-of-season produce. When she can afford it, Laura buys cheese and coffee. She also goes to her local food pantry to supplement her groceries. However, she emphasizes that food pantries are 'meant to be just that — supplemental, not a source of regular groceries.' Laura is grateful for the SNAP benefits she receives, but thinks some aspects of the program need to be changed. 'I wish we could buy paper products,' she says. 'Toilet paper is just as necessary as apples, and I wish I could just get everything at once.' She also wishes that restrictions on what SNAP recipients can buy, such as candy and hot foods, would be removed. Plus, Laura finds it difficult to figure out which foods she can buy with her benefits and which are excluded. 'No one should be told what food they're allowed to buy. Food is a human right,' Laura says. 'By making laws that just blindly eliminate whole sections of foods, that just makes it harder on people with specific diets. Or, it makes it impossible to give a little kid a birthday party,' she explains. Most importantly, Laura wishes she could rely on SNAP being around for those who need it. She's still looking for a full-time job that pays enough for her to support herself. Until then, however, "it's always in the back of my mind that my access to food could be taken away at any time. Depending on a program that's outside of your control, just to feed yourself, is terrifying,' she says.
Axios
03-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
Where SNAP cuts in Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" could hit Americans hardest
President Trump's massive tax and spending bill, which is advancing through the House after surviving its Republican push through the Senate, would slash food benefits for thousands. The big picture: It would mark a historic cut to the social safety net that Republicans claim weeds out waste, fraud and abuse — but experts say the restructuring of assistance programs could leave more people hungry and uninsured. Context: Trump's signature policy bill adjusts work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the country's largest nutrition assistance program. In order to keep their benefits under the Senate-passed version of the bill, parents of children aged 14 or older would have to meet work requirements. The bill also bumps the work requirement age up to 64. Currently, SNAP's requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents apply to those between 18 and 54. It could also force some states to shoulder more benefit costs, the rate of which would be set by a state's percent of erroneous payments. Benefits are currently 100% federally funded, though states share administrative costs. Threat level: Medicaid and food aid cuts could also lead to lead to job losses and hits to state GDPs, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes. Zoom out: In March 2025, more than 42 million Americans participated in SNAP, according to initial USDA data. The program provides crucial support for families with low-paying jobs, low-income older adults, people with disabilities and others. According to a CBPP analysis of FY 2024 USDA data, more than 62% of SNAP participants are in families with children, and more than 38% are in working families. New Mexico has the largest share participating in SNAP, with some 21% of the population helped by the program, according to preliminary March data. By the numbers: The bill would reduce nutrition funding, which includes SNAP, by around $186 billion between 2025 and 2034. While analyst's projections have fluctuated as the legislation's provisions are tweaked, analysts have indicated millions of people could be cut from SNAP under the work requirement provisions. CBPP points to a CBO indication that more than 2 million people would be cut from SNAP under the work requirement provision. While the CBPP notes that revised legislation released June 25 slightly modified several SNAP provisions in the reconciliation plan, it still says more than 5 million people live in households at risk of losing at least some food assistance.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
House Budget Bill Targets $300B in SNAP Cuts — 4 Potential Impacts To Benefits
Americans who depend on food stamps to help them buy groceries could see their benefits slashed if Congress passes President Trump's budget bill, which he personally dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill.' Find Out: Read Next: The bill certainly includes big cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a federal program that helps about 40 million Americans buy healthy food, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The U.S. House passed a version of the bill in late May that includes nearly $300 billion in SNAP cuts, according to a report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), which cited Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates. The bill is now being weighed by the Senate, where it's expected to face a tougher fight. A few key Republican senators have voiced opposition to the House version. However, as USA Today reported, much of that opposition has to do with a desire to cut more spending from the bill, protect certain energy subsidies or avoid slashing Medicaid funding. There is little, if any, GOP opposition to cutting SNAP benefits, at least publicly. The SNAP cuts do face plenty of opposition from advocacy groups, though. Jason Gromley, Senior Director for Share Our Strength and its No Kid Hungry campaign, called the bill 'a vote to increase childhood hunger.' 'This proposal reflects the largest and most extreme cuts to SNAP in history,' Gromley said in a press release. 'These cuts will do nothing to improve the lives of Americans, and will make it even harder for those who do receive benefits to afford enough food to feed their families.' According to the CBPP, here are four ways the proposed cuts will impact SNAP benefits. More than 2 million children will see food assistance to their families either 'cut substantially' or ended altogether. That figure is based on CBO estimates of the bill's SNAP provisions impact. It doesn't include provisions that prevent future benefit increases, which will impact all SNAP recipients. Warren Buffett: As the CBPP noted, under current SNAP rules, adults without children in their homes are limited to three months of benefits out of every three years if they can't prove that they either meet a 20-hour-per-week work requirement, or are exempt from the requirement. The House bill would expand the restriction to parents of children over the age of 6, and to older adults aged 55 to 64. Expanding the work requirement would cut SNAP by $92 billion through 2034, according to the CBO. It also would take food assistance away 'entirely' from 3.2 million adults in a typical month. One result is that about 1 million children would see their food benefits reduced substantially. The House bill would cut federal spending on school lunches and breakfasts by $700 million, according to the CBO. This would affect about 420,000 children in an average month by ending their school meals and/or cutting off their summer SNAP payments. The House bill also would eliminate all SNAP assistance for up to 250,000 foreign-born residents — including roughly 50,000 children — who are legal residents of the U.S. Many are refugees and people granted asylum who've proven to have fled violence and persecution in other countries, according to the CBPP. More From GOBankingRates 4 Affordable Car Brands You Won't Regret Buying in 2025 This article originally appeared on House Budget Bill Targets $300B in SNAP Cuts — 4 Potential Impacts To Benefits
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
4 Types of People Who Will Lose (and Make) Money Due to Trump's New Tax Initiatives
President Donald Trump's proposed tax initiatives promise lower rates, fewer deductions, and big shifts in how income is taxed. However, the real question for everyday Americans is simple: Will I come out ahead or lose money? Learn More: Find Out: Here are four types of people who will lose and make money due to Trump's new tax initiatives. The proposed plan would cut the top individual tax rate from 37% to 30%, significantly reducing tax liability for households earning over $400,000. 'Wealthy individuals will likely seize the opportunity of idle capital gains, given their new ability to offset this with additional depreciation,' said Hector Castaneda, certified public accountant (CPA) and principal at Castaneda CPA & Associates. 'Additionally, removing the SALT deduction cap would likely nudge the wealthy towards second homes or moving to income-tax states and spending less because philanthropy will become a little less attractive (at least from a financial perspective).' Read More: If passed, Trump's plan would expand the Child Tax Credit from $2,000 to $2,500 per child. While most families with children are expected to benefit, middle-income households are anticipated to gain the most, with average credits approaching $3,000. While the tax credit could help offset the rising cost of living, education and childcare expenses for most middle-class families, low-income families may not receive the full benefit. In addition, if funding for programs such as SNAP, childcare subsidies or Medicaid is cut to offset tax breaks, lower-income parents and children could end up worse off overall. 'Major cuts to SNAP and Medicaid will negatively impact child health outcomes, educational achievement and overall well-being,' said researchers in a report for Georgetown Law School's Center on Poverty and Inequality. Pass-through businesses could see a lower flat tax or expanded deductions, especially if Trump's proposal to cap business takes 15% to 20% passes. Entrepreneurs and gig workers using LLC structures may benefit from an expanded Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction, streamlined tax reporting and potentially reduced tax rates. These provisions are designed to reward small businesses and self-employment. 'These tax cuts provide much-needed relief to small businesses and individuals, and encouraged billions of dollars in economic activity and investment,' said Javier Palomarez, founder and CEO of the United States Hispanic Business Council (USHBC). 'Extending these cuts would allow businesses to invest and grow at a faster rate.' However, critics at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), a government watchdog agency, said that the pass-through business deduction disproportionately favors high earners. 'Heavily skewed in favor of high-income people, the deduction effectively cuts the top tax rate on this pass-through income by 20%, to 29.6%, compared to the 37% top rate that applies to wages and salaries,' CBPP researchers said. Seniors on fixed incomes may face unique challenges under Trump's tax proposal. To offset tax cuts, Trump has signaled potential changes that could affect seniors. For example, the budget plan proposes $700 billion in Medicaid cuts and enforced higher cost-sharing for beneficiaries above the poverty line. According to a Congressional Budget Office memo, an estimated 16 million Americans could lose health insurance as a result of policy changes included in Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' and two policies incorporated in federal baseline projections. 'The main culprit in the bill as it relates to healthcare is the effect on the Affordable Healthcare Act,' said Steven Conners, founder and president of Conners Wealth Management. 'Premiums will most likely increase. For those less fortunate, Medicaid will see less funding, which ultimately puts more pressure on this part of the population.' Editor's note on political coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on More From GOBankingRates 25 Places To Buy a Home If You Want It To Gain Value This article originally appeared on 4 Types of People Who Will Lose (and Make) Money Due to Trump's New Tax Initiatives
Newsweek
11-06-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
States Could Stop SNAP Benefits If Republican Bill Becomes Reality
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. States could stop offering SNAP benefits if the One Big Beautiful Bill Act becomes reality and they are shouldered with more of the cost of the food stamp program. "Shifting responsibility for funding SNAP onto states would upend state budgets," Darcy Milburn, the director of Social Security and health care policy at the Arc of the United States, told Newsweek. "SNAP is an optional program for states, so state governments may decide to address this fiscal challenge by reducing SNAP benefits, restricting eligibility, or even opting out of SNAP entirely," Why It Matters More than 40 million Americans rely on SNAP, which provides monthly benefits to for low- and no-income households to help pay for groceries. What To Know As it stands, states pay for half of the administrative costs of running the food assistance program, while the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pays the other half. The USDA also covers the entire cost of benefits. But this could soon change: under the Republican-led budget bill, which is currently being considered in the Senate, states could be made to pay for a portion of SNAP benefits in order to reduce federal spending. The House-approved version of the bill mandates that states will need to pay up to 25 percent of the cost of benefits, dependent on individual state payment error rates, starting in 2028. Those with higher error rates—more than 10 percent—would pay the most. If the funding cannot be found, it could lead to states ending their participation in the food stamp program. "Because SNAP is an optional program for states, these deep federal funding cuts may result in some states opting to end SNAP entirely if they are unable to come up with the state funds required to fill the hole left by deep federal cuts," the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) reported in May. Numerous states have warned that the cost of the program could be catastrophic for state budgets if the plans go ahead. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has warned the state could face footing a $900-million bill, while Rhode Island could end up paying $85 million to make up the gap. In late May, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services said the state would lose some $314 million in food assistance if President Donald Trump's bill comes to pass. So far, no state has said they plan to drop out of the program if the bill passes. Stock image of a woman shopping for groceries. Stock image of a woman shopping for groceries. GETTY "States are not in a position to absorb these substantial additional costs," the CBPP warned. "In fiscal year 2024, tax revenue fell in 40 states after adjusting for inflation, and many states are projecting budget shortfalls in the short and long term." According to a report by Politico, senators on the Agriculture Committee are seeking to reduce the percentage of benefits being paid for by states with the highest error payment rates to 15 percent, down from 25. What People Are Saying A USDA spokesperson told Newsweek: "As set by Congress in law, SNAP is at the request of the state agency. Regardless of this reconciliation exercise, states have the option whether to participate." Darcy Milburn, speaking to Newsweek: "During times of economic uncertainty, we need SNAP more than ever. Any cuts to SNAP funding would make it even harder for people with disabilities and their families to access the food they need to live healthy lives. We urge Congress to reject proposals for any cuts to SNAP, and to work on a bipartisan basis to strengthen and protect this critical program." Jennifer Greenfield, associate professor at University of Denver who specializes in the intersection of health and wealth disparities, previously told Newsweek: "The proposed federal 'savings' are not savings at all—it's a shift of the costs to our already cash-strapped states and families. The net result will be to increase hunger and financial instability among households with children, older adults, people with disabilities, and veterans—while also sending tens of thousands of people into unemployment." President Donald Trump has not commented directly on the SNAP provisions included in the bill, but has urged lawmakers to pass it. "It's time for our friends in the United States Senate to get to work, and send this Bill to my desk AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!" he wrote on Truth Social. What's Next The Senate is expected to revise several parts of the legislation before holding a final vote.
