Aug 16 Food stamp benefits to increase by more than 25 percent in October By Ashraf Khalil, Josh Boak, Associated Press The Biden administration has approved a significant and permanent increase in the levels of food stamp assistance available to needy families. It's the largest single increase in the program's history. Continue reading
Apr 30 Watch 6:17 More Americans are going hungry amid economic crisis — and many can’t get help By Paul Solman The current economic crisis means rising demand for food stamps. While Congress has passed additional benefits for some recipients, a large percentage of the poorest households did not get an increase. Meanwhile, many people, from college students now at home… Continue watching
Apr 27 With schools shuttered, districts struggle to feed students and communities By Candice Norwood School districts launched meal delivery services and grab-and-go locations that not only feed students, but in many cases adult community members, too, as unemployment numbers and the need for food rise. Continue reading
Apr 06 Governors plead for food stamp flexibility amid pandemic By Astrid Galvan, Ashraf Khalil, Associated Press State governments and food security activists across the country are imploring the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make the food stamp program more flexible and easier to access at a time when so many people are losing their jobs and… Continue reading
Dec 04 Watch 7:47 How cuts to food stamp program could increase ‘poor outcomes’ for the food insecure The Trump administration is making some major changes to the food stamp program, known as SNAP. On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture finalized a new rule expected to end access to the benefit for nearly 700,000 people by enforcing… Continue watching
Dec 04 USDA says hundreds of thousands of Americans will lose SNAP benefits under new rule By Associated Press The finalized rule, announced Wednesday, will restrict states from exempting work-eligible adults from having to obtain steady employment in order to receive benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps feed more than 36 million Americans. Continue reading
Oct 21 Watch 5:25 Flint fights lead poisoning with farmers markets and cooking classes By John Yang, Rachel Wellford After a public health crisis in Flint, Michigan, triggered by high levels of lead in the drinking water, a number of programs are working to encourage good nutrition for children in order to prevent recurring effects of the neurotoxin on… Continue watching
Oct 16 Trump rule may mean 1 million kids lose automatic free lunch By Candice Choi, Associated Press The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released details of an analysis that found that as many as 982,000 children could be affected by the change. About half would have to pay a reduced price of 40 cents for school lunch… Continue reading
Jul 27 Trump proposal seeks to crack down on food stamp ‘loophole’ By David A. Lieb, Associated Press The proposed rule change, outlined this past week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has highlighted the ideological clash between President Trump’s attempts to tighten government entitlement programs and efforts in some states to widen the social safety net. Continue reading
Jul 23 Watch 5:35 Why Trump’s new limit on food stamp eligibility will affect working families most More than 40 states currently allow people who receive welfare benefits to become eligible automatically for food stamps, or SNAP. But the Trump administration has announced new rules to restrict that automatic eligibility, meaning 3 million may stop receiving food… Continue watching