Rollback of SNAP expansion fuels food insecurity

Nonprofits and other service providers knew the expanded federal food benefits weren't permanent. But that didn't make the rollback any easier. In 2020, Congress boosted food benefits in response to the coronavirus pandemic, giving individuals and families the maximum allotment on their electronic benefits cards each month. Last summer, service providers such as Second Harvest Food Bank and Oberlin Community Services waited on pins and needles for that expansion to end. And on March 1, it did. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits returned to near where they were pre-pandemic. Statewide, the 738,000 households relying on SNAP benefits saw an average of $172 per month less in benefits available to them. Dan Henderson, 64, of Amherst, went from receiving about $200 a month during the expanded allotment back to about $20 a month. When the expanded benefits began, he thought it was a mistake, he told The Chronicle-Telegram in July 2022. But once he was sure the funds were his to spend, he was able to purchase more food at once rather than buying week-to-week. "Everything's a gift, I want to make sure that's clear," Henderson said. "But since the changes, I spend cash … I change what I buy." The U.S. Census Bureau estimated a quarter of households receiving SNAP benefits reported "sometimes" or "often" not having enough to eat since the March 1 policy change. Data from its Household Pulse Survey showed, according to a Census Bureau news release, the states that opted out of the expanded SNAP allotment early saw higher levels of households facing food scarcity earlier. But as the allotment ended, the difference between states that participated in the expanded allotment and those that didn't ended. Across the board, households reported food insecurity at similar levels. In Lorain County, Oberlin Community Services saw an increase in households coming to its drive-thru and choice pantries the last week of April, now-former Food Programs Coordinator Liv Hanson said. At the time of publication, Hanson had since taken a position with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. "We served more people the last week of April than we had in one week since before COVID — over 310 households," Hanson said. She said many of those coming to the pantry tell staffers they're thankful for the option since their SNAP benefits decreased, because groceries have gotten so expensive, or both. Kathy Burns, client services coordinator for Oberlin Community Services, agreed. "Everybody I've talked to has made some mention of how expensive things are," she said. "I talked to a lot of people who didn't qualify for food stamps to begin with, so that has been a constant, constant struggle putting food on the table." Burns said she's heard from clients that they're balancing bills, co-pays for medication and food costs. "It's a very emotional experience for somebody to come to a pantry for the first time," she said. "Whether it be drive-up or coming inside, the emotions, they're raw. Their eyes are starting to well up — 'I've never had to do this before, I've never been to a pantry but things have just gotten so expensive I can't continue on.'" Some of the individuals coming to Burns are being referred by local utility companies. Others have been coming to the pantry every week since the 1990s, Hanson said. Hanson said OCS is trying to order more food where it can to help meet the growing need. "Every week there is something that I would like to give out that I consider a staple that I cannot get from them because supply chains are the way they are, because everywhere is seeing an increased need they have to put limits on things," Hanson said. "If I got as much as I wanted, nobody else would get any, because I need all of what they have." In south Lorain, El Centro de Servicios Sociales Executive Director Victor Leandry is seeing the psychological toll the rollback has had. People needed the additional allotments before the pandemic, he said, but came to rely on those extra funds for three years straight — easing some stress during an uncertain time. Now, those families are back to square one. "So the pandemic is stressful, they're receiving this relief and they're cut a break and they're able to help the family a little more," he said. "But now, we're taking that away. So it's another challenge for people to figure out." There has been some movement to raise monthly issuances — in 2019, a single person's maximum allotment was $194 a month, based in part on their income. That amount has been steadily increased, to $281 in 2023. But that hasn't changed the need El Centro and other nonprofits are seeing since the rollback. Thelma Cruz, director of Community Health and Supportive Services, said caseworkers are seeing more people come to El Centro in need of help. She said they've seen an increase in individuals requesting food boxes, and clients tell them the cost of food is making it hard to make ends meet. "Somehow with everybody working together, we try to figure out the best way to help our community meet those needs that they have," she said. Oberlin Community Services and El Centro receive the bulk of their food from Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio. Its executive director, Julie Chase-Morefield, said it's too early to tell the full impact of the rollback. Second Harvest's food distribution numbers have stayed consistently about 30 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels, she said. And for the first four months of 2023, it has seen an about 18 percent uptick from the year prior. "To see the numbers go up tells us things are changing, that they're unsettled. So you think 'Is it the SNAP emergency allotment, was it the end of universal free breakfast and lunch, is it inflation?' … it's hard to pin it to one thing yet," she said. In talking to food banks in states that ended the expansion early, she's hearing a 30 percent to 40 percent increase about two months after the expansion ended. For now, she and other nonprofits wait and try to stockpile where they can. "We've purchased a lot of food, additional food. We have a budget, which we need to stay within our budget, but we've purchased a lot of food earlier. So we've been trying to front-load food in our warehouse," she said. "We're really advocating at the state level for additional funding for state food … we know things are going to get tight if we don't see more food come in and we continue to see these numbers go up, we just aren't going to have the food to provide to the pantries." Chase-Morefield said one bright spot was permanent summer EBT allotments for families with children who receive free/reduced lunches. Households will receive up to $120 per eligible child. While anticipating that spike in need, Chase-Morefield and others are lobbying to prevent a cut in SNAP benefits currently part of a Republican bill to lift the debt ceiling and cut spending. The U.S. House passed a bill in late April that would claw back unobligated COVID-19 relief funds, and expand work requirements for SNAP recipients, among other measures. Currently, able-bodied adults under 50 years old and without dependents must spend 20 hours a week in work-related activities. The bill would expand those requirements up to age 56. The bill would also apply work requirements to adults without dependents on Medicaid. If an individual receiving benefits stops working or doesn't work enough hours a week for three consecutive months, they lose their benefits. She said the person most often at Second Harvest's pantry is a single parent with two children — so it's not as simple as "just go back to work," she said. A lack of child care slots since the pandemic, and transportation, have compounded the issue. "There's a theory that if you cut the benefits, this will force people to go back to work. That's not a fair comparison," Chase-Morefield said. "And by and large the people who receive benefits are people with children, are people who are retirement age … or disabled. So these are very vulnerable populations." For SNAP recipients like Henderson, it's a balancing act. He budgets carefully and plans to sign up for a senior food box to help stretch his Social Security benefits every month. "I'm balancing it," he said. "It's just different — takes a little more time, a little more planning." The Associated Press contributed to this story. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com. SIGN UP FOR FOOD BOXESSeniors 60 and older and below 130 percent of the federal poverty level ($17,667 for a single person) are eligible for a free monthly food box. For more information or to sign up, contact Second Harvest at (440) 960-2265.