Rising Grocery Prices Prompt Increased Demand for SNAP Aids Nationwide
SNAP Aid Plays a Vital Role as Families Navigate Food Insecurity
According to Indy Star, grocery prices are going up a lot and the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts they will increase by 2.9 percent next year following a 5.8 percent rise in 2023. Families all over the country are feeling the impact leading many to seek help from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Last year, 42 million people relied on SNAP aid to afford their monthly groceries. Salaam Bhatti who directs SNAP at the Food Research & Action Center highlights the crucial role of SNAP aid in helping families deal with food insecurity especially when prices are going up.
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Benefit Limits, Age Concerns, and Bipartisan Efforts for Enhanced Security
SNAP aid helps households within 130 percent of the federal poverty line but able-bodied adults without dependents face a three-month benefit limit in a 36-month cycle if work requirements aren’t met. This rule applies to adults aged 18 to 52 extending to 54-year-olds in October raising concerns about older individuals finding steady work. Exemptions exist for people with disabilities those experiencing homelessness, young adults with foster care experience, and veterans, regardless of discharge conditions. Lawmakers are working on a bipartisan law to make EBT cards chip enabled addressing security issues like electronic skimming of SNAP benefits.