Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( Snap ) Formerly Known As The Food Stamp Essay

The modern program was established as part of the War on Poverty in the 1960s but has undergone mass changed since then (Edin, 2014). One being that the government gives out electronic debit cards, rather than stamps, for buying food. Since 2008, the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program has become the largest food assistance program in the U.S. It serves greater than 45 million people in the U.S and is a critical safety net program for health and nutrition in the U.S (The History of SNAP, para.

Food stamps are an important component of low-income families’ monthly resources, increasing the chances that families are able to meet basic needs (Ratcliffe, McKernan & Finegold, 2008). This form of food relief dates back to the Great Depression when many Americans lost their jobs and did not have money to feed their families. People were starving while farmers produced abundant crop that could not be sold due to a lack of consumers with buying power (Dorsch, 2013). The Federal Surplus Relief Corporation which was a part of the Agricultural Adjustment Act, bought basic farm goods at low prices and distributed the among hunger relief agencies in different states and local communities (Congressional Digest, 2013).

Food Stamp is a government-funded program in the United States. This is a program that helps people buy food for their families; in other words, it is a very important program to families living in poverty. It is the nation’s most important program in the fight against hunger. This program was developed in the 1960’s; it is made to improve the nutrition level and food purchasing power of people with low-income. This program is offered to people who cannot afford to buy groceries for their families, regardless of age, color, sex or religion. Food Stamps can only be used to buy food items not hygiene or household items, and it’s offered only on a monthly basis.

SNAP is the foundation of nutrition assistance programs. This program provides over 47 million individuals in nearly 23 million low-income households. The eligibility is not restricted to certain groups of individuals, and because of this, SNAP serves a vast amount of families with children, elderly people, and individuals with disabilities. Others eligible for SNAP include families with adults who work in low-wage jobs, unemployed workers, and those with a fixed income. The SNAP Program assists about 72 percent of people who live in households with children. Nearly 25 percent of households with seniors and individuals with disabilities, are also assisted (Rosenbaum, 2013).

These programs may include Welfare, food stamps (SNAP), and government housing projects. According to the authors, the results showed from the analysis of how many families are on food stamps is, in 2011 over 1.5 million households with about 3 million children were surviving on less than $2.00 a day, including a family member in the work force (Edin, Shaefer, 2016). It is amazing that these families are living on so little when on when many people spend more than that before they go to school, or work. For example, grabbing a quick breakfast before work can cost almost $7.00. The authors noted that they researched about a total of 18 families, but only 8 total are featured in the book.

In the United States of America, there is enough food in this country that the total amount of agricultural exports is enough to feed everyone twice over (Dorsch, 2013). The problem is that even though there is so much food in this country millions of people require assistance to purchase the food and feed their families. Dating back almost 100 years, the now called Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) has evolved to keep up with the changing needs of the Country. In 1933 SNAP was built into Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA). The AAA was put into law during the great depression. The purpose of the law was to help farmers deal with the excess supply of crops by having the government subsidize the cost. The government would also distribute these crops to relief agencies and local communities (The History of SNAP). In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Food Stamp Act. With this legislation enacted it was now required to purchase stamps. These stamps also had bonus amounts that were determined by income level. In the 90’s and early 2000s major changes were done to SNAP. The electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card was

Most of these families and individuals now are in programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, also known as welfare(National Coalition,2009), Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. These programs provide cash, health care benefits and food for these families and most individuals helping the individuals or families to get back on their feet although some will get denied for such help.

Throughout my research, I have gathered a lot of useful information about food stamps, also known as Common Benefit Identification Card (CBIC) (New). Food stamps are a valuable resource for many lower class families and less fortunate individuals. It is the nation's highest anti-hunger program and helps many people. According to fns.usda.gov, “Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) is an electronic system that allows a recipient to authorize transfer of their government benefits from a Federal account to a retailer account to pay for products received. EBT is used in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam. EBT has been implemented in all States since June of

SNAP benefits are used to buy food at authorized stores only and are the food that is bought is to be consumed at home. Authorized stores can consist of supermarkets, farmers markets and grocery stores. SNAP benefits are not to be used at restaurants,

93-86, Aug. 10, 1973) required States to expand the program to every political jurisdiction before July 1, 1974; expanded the program to drug addicts and alcoholics in treatment and rehabilitation centers; established semi-annual allotment adjustments, SSI cash-out, and bi-monthly issuance; introduced statutory complexity in the income definition (by including in-kind payments and providing an accompanying exception); and required the Department to establish temporary eligibility standards for disasters. This legislation also added a new category of eligible purchases with SNAP benefits - seeds and plants which produce food for human

The United States does not spend too much on the food stamp (SNAP program) and no one deserves to go hungry. Every year during budget talks the welfare program is a featured topic as the government explores ways to cut the budget. There appears to be a lot of unnecessary spending due to abuse of the system and program administration complexity. There are many areas in which reforms could be instituted and the program could be expanded without misappropriation of funds.

By 1981, the Food Stamp Program faced budget cuts during the Administration of President Ronald Reagan because of the rising demand. A nutrition education program was added to the Food Stamp Program but it was optional state by state from

The government provides various funded welfare programs to help those in need. These government-funded programs cover different types of services such as SNAP (food stamps), Medicaid, WIC, PELL grant, Unemployment Compensation, and FHA loans. In addition, the programs provide benefits to low-income individuals and families, and individuals with disabilities. However, these programs may have their advantages and disadvantages as well. Although the programs are to assist low-income individuals, however, not all individuals and families are eligible for benefits of these programs. There are some guidelines in order to qualify for these programs.

The USDA supplies food assistance to one in four Americans annually via food distribution programs, child nutrition programs, a supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP), a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), a Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP), and a Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) (USDA, 2014). The nutrition assistance programs target food security and diet quality among children and low-income individuals across the United States.

1. Migrant and seasonal farm workers may have the poorest health of any aggregate in the United States and the least access to affordable healthcare (Nies, 2011). In Indiana, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides food assistance to low and no income people and families living in the United States (U.S.). It is a federal aid program administered by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), however, distribution of benefits occurs at the state level. In Indiana, the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) is responsible for ensuring federal regulations are initially implemented and consistently applied in each county. People can apply for this assistance at their local Division of Family Resources. There are also many places that participate in the emergency food assistance program (TEFAP) and food pantries. In Lake County, Indiana, the largest food pantry is the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana, which is a TEFAP participant and also a soup kitchen. They are open Monday through Friday during the day. There are also food pantries in trustee offices and churches, but some of them are by referral only. In some cases, the community health nurse can make a referral (in.gov, 2014).