SNAP Facts

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Why the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Matters

➤ 65% of benefits help children, seniors, and people with disabilities.

➤ $1 in SNAP generates $1.50–$1.80 in economic activity.
Helps farms, truckers, stores, etc.

➤ SNAP is under 2% of the federal budget.

➤ Fraud remains low at about 1.6%.

🚩The GOP’s Big Bill Changes

  • Narrows exemptions and raises work requirement age to 64.
  • Cuts estimated at $187 billion over 10 years.
  • Federal share of administrative costs reduced from 50% to 25%.
  • Projected 2.4 million fewer people receiving benefits monthly.

Common Myths vs Facts

Myth: SNAP is mostly used by able-bodied adults.
Fact: Only ~17% fall under that category and most are subject to time limits.

Myth: Undocumented immigrants receive SNAP.
Fact: They are not eligible.

Myth: Fraud is widespread.
Fact: Fraud rate is about 1.6%.

Myth: SNAP mainly benefits urban minorities.
Fact: Participants live in all regions and are slightly more rural overall.

Fraud, Waste & Errors

  • 88% of benefits are used properly.
  • 11% are administrative errors (improper payments).
  • 1% is actual fraud (trafficking).
  • Even eliminating all fraud and errors would save ~$10–12B/year, far less than the ~$18–20B/year cuts in the Big Bill.

How SNAP Works

  • Households apply based on income and expenses.
  • Benefits load monthly onto an EBT card usable only for food.
  • Average benefit: ~$332/month per household (~$180/person = about $6 per day). 
  • Most participants stay on SNAP less than one year.

Eligibility & Work Requirements

  • Citizens and qualified non-citizens may apply.
  • Income must be under 130% of the federal poverty level.
  • Asset limits apply.
  • Able-bodied adults 18–54 must work 80 hours/month. (BBB extends this to 64)
  • Exemptions include disabled adults, parents of kids under 6, veterans, homeless individuals, and foster youth. (BBB tightens this)

SNAP History

  • 1939: Launched as the Food Stamp Program during the Great Depression.
  • 1964: Made permanent by the Food Stamp Act.
  • 1974: Expanded nationwide under President Nixon.
  • 2008: Renamed SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and modernized with EBT cards.
  • 2025: Serves ~40 million Americans monthly (about 1 in 8).
    About 1 in 6 Pennsylvanians use SNAP benefits every month.
    60,088 Lehigh County residents are SNAP recipients (16.28%).

🚩Budget Priorities Pattern

  • 2017 Trump Budget proposed major safety-net cuts.
  • 2019 rule restricted state work-waiver flexibility.
  • 2025 Big Bill cuts SNAP by $18–20B annually.
  • 2025 eliminated Local Food Purchase Assistance and Local Food for Schools programs (>$1B in cuts).

Sources

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