1. The Farm Bill and SNAP
Policies affecting your Clients
By: Christine Woody, MSW
Missouri Association
For Social Welfare
2. What is the Farm Bill?
Comprehensive piece of legislation that
guides and authorizes funding for most of the
federal food and farm policies.
Every five years, Congress renews the Farm
Bill through the reauthorization process.
3. Farm Bill Goals from the Beginning
• Ensure a stable and affordable food supply
• Protect farmers from price volatility
• Provide a nutrition safety net for the poor
• Support farm production and rural
development
• Conserve natural resources
• Create new sources of energy
5. What is in the Farm Bill regarding
Hunger and Nutrition Policy?
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
• Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
• Seniors Farmers’ Markets
• The Hunger-Free Communities Collaborative and
Infrastructure Grant Programs
6. Who do these Programs help?
For Low-income Americans broadly:
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP)/Food Stamps
• The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
For Seniors:
• Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
• Seniors Farmers’ Markets
For Children and Low Income Families:
• USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program
• Community Food Project Grants
8. SNAP
Formerly The Food Stamp Program (well in Missouri it
is still called the Food Stamp Program).
Almost 1 million Missourians are on the program
The most far-reaching Federally funded nutrition
program. Helps the most people not only with their
hunger needs, but helps many out of poverty.
9. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP)(“food stamps”)
Number of beneficiaries each month:
• 1996 – 25.5 million
• 2000 - 17.2 million
• 2007 – 26.5 million
• 2009 – 33.5 million
• November 2012 – 47.7 million
10. Each of you as Pantry Workers should ask and
encourage your clients to apply for the Food Stamp
Program.
It can positively affect struggling families and relieve
some of the burden of pantries who are overwhelmed
by clients needing assistance.
11. Eligibility Process
What Must You Prove?
You reside in the State of Missouri
AND
You are a United States citizen or eligible immigrant;
AND
You meet income and resource rules;
OR
You are categorically eligible for Food Stamps.
Sources: Missouri Income Maintenance Manual 1105.005.00, 1105.010.00,
1110.005.00, 1135.035.00.
12. What should you bring to apply
There are verification requirements in the Food Stamp program.
Applicants should bring the following items with them to the
FSD office:
Paycheck stubs;
Social Security card;
Utility bills;
Driver’s license or birth certificate;
If your household has a disabled member: Hospital bills,
pharmacy receipts, or doctor bills relating to the disabled
member.
Even if people do not have all of these documents readily
available, people should STILL APPLY. The FSD caseworker
can help them get the necessary verification after they apply.
13. Where can you apply
Individuals and families who want to apply for Food
Stamps can go to their local FSD office and fill out an
application. To find out where the local FSD office is at:
you can go to:
http://www.dss.mo.gov/fsd/office/index.htm
Applications can even be mailed or filled out over the
telephone. To request an application or to fill an
application over the phone, call your local FSD office.
Food Stamp applications are also available online at:
http://www.dss.mo.gov/fsd/fstamp/pdf/fs1_070105.pdf
14. SNAP helps low income families
Food Stamps have been proven to be a positive
supplement to the health of low-income individuals
and their families.
16. And the Economy
For every $5 in food stamps that are spent,
roughly $9 in economic activity is generated.
Every dollar spent in food stamps results in 17
to 47 cents in new spending on food.
Every $1 billion in Food Stamp spending
generates 3,000 farm jobs.
Source: USDA- The Benefits of Increasing Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) Participation in Your State, December, 2011
17. Funding for all of these nutrition programs are vitally
important!
18. Last Farm Bill passed in 2008
Changed the name of Food Stamps to SNAP.
Increased the $10 minimum monthly benefit
(unchanged for 30 years) to $14, and indexed it
for inflation
Allowed more families to save without penalty by
excluding education savings and tax-preferred
retirement accounts from food stamp asset
limits.
19. The New Farm Bill
It was up for reauthorization in 2012.
Many proposals (positive and negative) have
been initiated in Congress.
Nothing has passed yet. Passing of the Farm
Bill has been complicated by other Federal
Budget Debates.
Congressed passed an extension through
September.
20. Some positive possibilities
Provide for a way to make quicker adjustments to the
Food Stamp benefit levels so that these levels don’t
lag behind rising food prices
Continue to increase the minimum benefit levels to
ensure that households receiving the minimum
benefit levels continue to retain purchasing power
Allow benefits to be adjusted when high housing
costs eat up a family’s income
21. Eliminate the lifetime ban for drug felons;
Allow all states to operate a Combined Assistance
Project with the Social Security Administration;
Provide more resources to states for outreach efforts;
Increase access to healthy foods- fund more farmer’s
market pilot programs.
22. Some concerns
Cut the program budget for SNAP benefits;
Turn the SNAP Program into a block grant; or
Roll back the significant gains from the last two Farm
Bills.
24. 2012 Farm Bill- Senate Proposal
Senate Bill-- S. 3240
Passed full Senate in June 2012
$4.49 billion cut to SNAP over 10 years.
An estimated 500,000 households a year
will lose $90 per month in SNAP benefits
(CBO estimate)
25. House Proposal
Passed out of House Agriculture Committee July 2012
$16 billion cut to SNAP over 10 years
Restricts the Categorical Eligibility (Cat El) option that
allows states to coordinate SNAP gross income and
asset rules.
1.8 million individuals per year could lose SNAP benefits
(CBO)
2-3 million individuals could lose SNAP (Obama Admin.)
280,000 low-income children could lose free school meal
access
Eliminate state bonuses for effective SNAP operation
26. From the Advocates in DC
A real concern that some sort of SNAP Program cuts
are possible!
27. How can I help?
Contact your Members of Congress and urge them
to support and protect the SNAP program!
Call your Member of Congress and urge them to
strengthen and protect SNAP
Schedule a meeting with your Member of
Congress when they are back in their district.
Organize a site visit to your agency
28. Regardless of what happens next
the message stays the same:
NO CUTS TO SNAP!
29. Thank You
Any Questions?
Christine Woody, MSW
Missouri Association for Social Welfare
www.masw.org
christinemasw@hotmail.com
