(upbeat music) - I'm Stephen Hegg in the Crosscut KCTS 9 newsroom.

Washington's food banks are bracing for a hunger cliff amid cuts to federal food benefits.

As food stamp recipients see their grocery budgets tighten, state proposals would shift money to already strained and short-staffed local services.

Food banks have been a crucial lifeline for seniors during the pandemic and demand has only continued to grow.

Now, they're bracing for another surge in need, starting on March 1st when pandemic era increases to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will disappear, cutting close to $100 a month from many users food budgets.

But the cuts will be more severe for certain groups, especially single seniors.

(upbeat music) State legislators have proposed increased funding to food banks to address the impending hunger cliff, but those proposals won't replace the lost benefits.

(upbeat music) I'm Stephen Hegg, find non-profit Northwest news every day on crosscut.com.