If you use social media, you may have seen a graphic that lists some suggested limitations on how the poor may use their SNAP, or “food stamp,” benefits.
I initially believed that this was a proposed federal law, but it’s a policy that the state of Iowa is debating. If the proposal is passed, a new list of foods that SNAP participants in Iowa will no longer be permitted to purchase has been suggested by Republican lawmakers in Iowa.
This list of suggested restrictions seems random, which is the first thing I noticed about it. If I had only read the restrictions prohibiting processed grains and canned beans, I might have mistakenly believed that it was only an issue of health.
But then I got to the part about not having any fresh meat, only canned—even though, generally speaking, canned meat tends to be saltier and not as healthy.
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When I read “no sliced, shredded, crumbled, or American cheese” even though shredded cheese costs about the same and American is less expensive, I might have assumed it was all about prices and only purchasing inexpensive items.
The only thing the limits have in common is that they make it harder to shop, cook, and eat the food you do manage to buy with SNAP. Simply put, it’s putting obstacles in the way of impoverished individuals using SNAP.
The majority of respondents agreed that this was a terrible idea. However, I noticed a tiny group of people who were in support of making it more difficult to use SNAP benefits generally.
When SNAP benefits are in the headlines, you always come across these individuals. Some of them are just out cruel, and I don’t talk to unkind individuals.
I can’t make you comprehend if you don’t realize that feeding the hungry is a good thing to do. Others, though, appear to think that making it more difficult to apply for and utilize SNAP will reduce fraud, promote frugal living and good eating, and prevent money from being wasted by the government.
I believe it’s time for a brief recap of the SNAP program’s definition, operation, and justification for not curtailing it for their benefit and the benefit of anyone who may have had any questions.
For the benefit of those who are curious about the situation rather than the harsh individuals who are beyond hope.
The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, or SNAP for short, is a federal initiative to assist low-income families in purchasing enough food.
Although it is commonly referred to as “food stamps,” recipients now receive cards that may be swiped instead of stamps that can be redeemed for specific foods.
Contrary to popular belief, SNAP fraud is extremely rare—less than a percentage of cases—and is often associated with lazy people taking advantage of the government for money they might have earned themselves.
People who apply for these benefits must clear a rigorous series of hoops and frequently re-verify their income and family size; it’s not the kind of thing you can get away with.
Since it is purposefully very difficult for unemployed persons to qualify for SNAP benefits, the majority of program participants hold full-time employment, but their wages are insufficient to cover their basic needs.
Among those who don’t, many are disabled people and youngsters who shouldn’t be working in the first place. Those individuals require food.
The Influx of Snap Funds Into the Local Economy is Good for Businesses and Consumers Alike
Indeed, they do.
They do, in all seriousness.
I know we’ve been taught that receiving government assistance entails robbing taxpayers of money and giving it to the Great Unwashed at the expense of everyone else, but SNAP benefits don’t operate by that theory.
Let me elaborate. Your contemporary SNAP payments are sent on an Electronic Benefits Transfer, or EBT, a card that is loaded with a specific amount of money each month at most $500 for a family of three, depending on the family’s income.
In general, only unprepared foods from the grocery store aisles may be purchased with that money, not hot meals from the grocery deli counter or a restaurant; however, state regulations may differ slightly.
Your EBT card won’t work if you scan it after you check out a cart full of socks and underwear. The EBT card will cover the cost of the food if you primarily purchase food but also socks and underwear.
Nonetheless, you will be responsible for paying the cash price of the apparel. The cash, however, that the card gives to the shop is merely money.
If I spend $500 on groceries using 500 one-dollar bills, the person in front of me spends $500 using a credit card, and the person behind me spends $500 using her EBT card, the grocery store will receive $1500 to use as they like. It is equivalent to money for them.\
Snap Gives Low-income People Money to Spend in the Local Economy
Grocery stores make money by selling goods to individuals who would not otherwise be able to purchase them; as a result, they can pay their staff and place larger orders for food, which is advantageous to everyone.
Local grocers will lose money if such advantages are reduced. They might leave less affluent areas even more frequently than they already do.
Local businesses will struggle. The SNAP program doesn’t siphon off your tax money and make it vanish into locations you’ll never see. It funds the checkout counter at your local supermarket with tax money.
True, it accomplishes this by collecting a small amount of taxes from those who are wealthier. About 2% of the government’s annual budget goes to SNAP, and 93% of that amount is allocated to the program’s EBT cards rather than to administrative overhead.
In comparison, the military accounts for more than 1/6 of all federal spending. One could argue that if one paid $1,000 in taxes last year, $20 went to the EBT program, from which hungry households received $18.60, but $166.66 went to the killing of people abroad.
Applying for and maintaining SNAP is already challenging due to the required paperwork, income documentation, and interviews. The limited budget that the government grants them each month is challenging to stretch.
Because low-income residents frequently reside in “food deserts” and are unable to access a regular grocery store without a car or money for petrol, it can be challenging to spend SNAP benefits in the first place.
More to Read:
- New Jersey Has Issued $1500 Stimulus Payments to Homeowners and Renters for Property Tax Reduction
- A Suspect in a $100 Million Deli Fraud Case in New Jersey is Being Held in Thailand
- Which States Are Still Issuing Stimulus Payouts in 2022?
Remember, you can’t spend SNAP benefits at a restaurant, but you might be allowed to spend them at a convenience shop. The meals available to buy in these places are of a limited selection, reasonably priced, and not very nutritious.
Nobody benefits when additional limitations and challenges are added to those they currently face.
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The neighborhood convenience store, which can be the only location for poor people in the center of the city to shop, might not have whole wheat bread and pasta.
It would be exceedingly impractical to limit the things they can purchase if they have chronic illnesses that require dietary restrictions that the government cannot anticipate. They might have three jobs, so they can’t stay at home all day to cook brown rice and dry beans.
The rate of fraud in the SNAP program is already relatively low. Taxpayers already pay relatively little for it. Additionally, it benefits the entire economy, not just the underprivileged. It could undoubtedly be improved, but not by making it more challenging.
These are the fundamentals of one of our country’s most effective and beneficial government programs. If you have any questions, I hope this clarifies them.
Of course, I can’t help you if you’re simply being cruel.
