SNAP
SNAP “asset tests” removed from state budget
State lawmakers removed two provisions from the state budget that would have made food stamps more difficult to access for poor Ohioans. Senate Republicans earlier this month proposed two changes to how the state administers benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. One would impose an “asset test” on recipients, which eliminates their benefits if […]
Senate budget calls for “asset tests” for poor Ohioans seeking food stamps
The Ohio Senate added to its budget proposal a provision requiring the state to cut off food stamp assistance for poor Ohioans if their households save up $2,250 or more. It also imposes a requirement known as “change reporting.” This forces Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program clients to report every fluctuation in income — things like […]
Study: Work requirements for SNAP don’t increase employment numbers
New policy research suggests imposing work requirements upon people who receive food stamps can slash benefit rolls by more than 50% without producing much to gain in employment or wages. The National Bureau of Economic Research working paper, authored by five economists, casts doubt on the notion that imposing work requirements to obtain benefits will […]
Vilsack keys in on food insecurity and nutrition in USDA budget request
WASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday laid out USDA’s goals to expand food insecurity and nutrition programs in the president’s budget request, as well as the agency’s focus on programs to address longtime racial discrimination. “Normally I would talk to you all about numbers in the budget,” Vilsack, the former governor of Iowa, […]
Pandemic disparities mirrored pre-existing conditions for low-income families, minorities, report shows
An annual report analyzing how children faired in the nation in the last year showed harrowing effects from COVID-19, but mainly found the same disparities that existed before the pandemic. The study conducted by the advocacy group Children’s Defense Fund, which has a chapter in Ohio, used federal and state data, along with statistics from […]
Benefits rollback bill would cost nearly $20 million in red tape, legislative analysts say
A legislative proposal to restrict eligibility for social safety net programs like food stamps or Medicaid would cost nearly $20 million to implement, according to state policy analysts. The Ohio Legislative Service Commission, a nonpartisan arm of the state legislature that evaluates policy proposals, estimated a plan to require photo identification on every Supplemental Nutrition […]
‘Ludicrous and unhelpful:’ Senate Republican seeks to restrict SNAP and Medicaid in Ohio
A Senate Republican from Lancaster is seeking to restrict eligibility requirements on poor Ohioans seeking government assistance paying for groceries and health care. The proposed legislation comes during a pandemic that has killed about 450,000 Americans. Nearly 1 in 10 households said during a survey last month that they often or sometimes don’t have enough […]
Ohio SNAP benefit expansion offers grocery deliveries via 3 retailers
Low-income Ohioans now have another option for using their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to purchase groceries to be delivered to their homes. A new partnership between InstaCart and Aldi allows those living near one of the discount supermarkets to buy groceries online using their EBT card. Aldi joins two other major retailers, Walmart […]
‘Let’s just feed our kids’: Advocates press to extend federal aid for school meals
WASHINGTON — A school nutrition leader in Virginia is calling on the federal government to extend a summer meals program to support hungry kids as schools reopen this fall. “One of our primary needs at this point is to try to maintain the summer food service,” Larry Wade Sr., director of school nutrition services for […]
Being convicted of a crime has thousands of consequences besides incarceration. Some last a lifetime.
At least 77 million U.S. adults have criminal records, including nearly 7 million currently in prison or jail or on probation or parole. Typically, more than 10,000 of the incarcerated leave prison and nearly 200,000 churn through jails every week. But because more than 64,000 inmates and workers have become infected with the coronavirus so […]
SNAP benefits now can be used for online food purchasing from Walmart and Amazon
Ohioans who are eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can now use their cards to purchase food online through Walmart and Amazon, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) announced in a news release Wednesday. During the coronavirus pandemic, many Ohioans have opted for online shopping as a safer alternative to […]
What will our social compact look like in the wake of COVID-19?
In 2019, more than 1.6 million different Ohioans needed help from a charitable food pantry because they couldn’t meet their nutritional needs without it. They were 82-year-old widowers scraping by on Social Security benefits. They were working parents with children who cobbled together a couple of important, but underpaid, jobs in food service or home […]