SNAP Eligibility Changes
Concerns from Advocacy Groups
According to Los Cerritos News, in Kentucky, there’s a big discussion about House Bill 367. This House Bill 367 wants to make it harder for people to get help from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). If House Bill 367 becomes law many people in Kentucky might lose their SNAP benefits. House Bill 367 focuses on changing the rules for who can qualify for food assistance. State Rep. Wade Williams supports the House Bill 367 saying it’s time to help more people get back to work after the pandemic. But others, like Stan Siegwald from Dare to Care food bank and Eric Evans from AARP Kentucky, are worried. They think House Bill 367 could make it harder for working families, seniors, and people with disabilities to get the help they need to buy food.
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Increased Reliance on Food Banks
House Bill 367 suggests making changes to who can get SNAP benefits. Americans can get help if their income is below 200% of the federal poverty level. The House Bill 367 wants to lower this limit to 130%. It also wants to add a test to see how much money or valuable things like savings or a car, a person has. If House Bill 367 becomes law a person would need to have less than $2,750 in assets or $4,250 for seniors and people with disabilities to get SNAP benefits. Siegwald is worried that this could make more people depend on Dare to Care and other groups for food. Even though some Democrats and Republicans from eastern Kentucky voted against House Bill 367 it still passed in the House.