(The Hill) — Starting Saturday, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for millions are in jeopardy as the impacts of the weeks-long federal government shutdown expand, including thousands of recipients in Colorado.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which administers the food stamp program, said last week it will not use more than $5 million in contingency funding that Congress had allocated for emergency scenarios. Next month’s SNAP benefits are estimated at $8 billion.
SNAP funding is given to states monthly, with the federal government and states splitting administrative costs and states operating their own programs. Some states are affected more than others.
Which states have the most SNAP recipients?
In fiscal year 2024, approximately 41.7 million people received monthly SNAP benefits, according to the USDA. The federal government spent $99.8 billion on the program, amounting to roughly $187.20 per recipient per month.
With the clock ticking, though, states around the country, from Texas to Florida to New York, are sounding the alarm. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a think tank dedicated to combating poverty and inequality, at least 5 percent of the residents of every state and Washington, D.C., received SNAP benefits in fiscal year 2024.
New Mexico, at 21 percent, had the highest share of residents receiving SNAP benefits, followed by the nation’s capital at 20 percent, Louisiana and Oregon at 18 percent and Oklahoma at 17 percent. Massachusetts, at 16 percent, and Illinois, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania, all at 15 percent, round out the top 10.
In Colorado, CBPP reported that SNAP reached 584,500 residents, or 10 percent of the state. This comes out to helping one in 10 Coloradans. More data showed that more than 64 percent of participants were families with children, and more than 46% are in working families.
On average, Coloradans using SNAP received about $186 a month, based on the data in 2024. Soon, this number will be down to zero.
The USDA, in a Friday memo, argued that the SNAP contingency fund can only be used in the aftermath of unforeseen events, such as natural disasters.
But in a since-deleted shutdown plan, the USDA published on Sept. 30, the department noted that it is congressionally mandated to allocate SNAP benefits using the contingency fund during the shutdown.
Max Rego
Source link