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Running head: SNAP POLICY

SNAP Policy: A Policy to Grapple with Food Insecurity in the United States

Liz Guenther

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

A shocking 35 million Americans battle food insecurity and receive SNAP benefits

monthly (Coleman-Jensen et al., 2019). Even though food insecurity has been improving since

the 2008 Recession, it is projected that the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic will show

increases in hunger across the United States (Coleman-Jensen et al., 2019). Food insecurity is

connected to many significant, negative health effects, and children are particularly victimized

by the harms associated with hunger and food insecurity. Many research studies have echoed that

children in households that struggle with food insecurity are more likely to have cognitive issues,

anxiety, developmental issues, and behavioral problems (Gundersen & Ziliak, 2015). These are

significant findings because 44 percent of SNAP participants were found to be children (USDA,

2021). These findings also connect to the demographics of people who struggle with hunger.

Households that were at the greatest risk for food insecurity were single-parent households

(USDA, 2021). Additionally, Latinx and African American households were much more likely

to be food insecure than White families (USDA, 2021). In Kornbluh’s research, they argue that

hunger has always been a civil rights problem because it has disproportionately impacts POC

individuals in the southern United States (Kornbluh, 2015). Kornbluh traces how the movement

to establish the Food Stamp Act of 1964 nationwide was greatly connected to African American

activists in the South (Kornbluh, 2015).

Even though research is still being conducted about the implications of COVID-19 on

food insecurity and hunger in the United States, preliminary studies of the impacts of COVID-19

have found insights about the rise of hunger in the United States. More than one out of four

families didn’t have dependable sources of food during the recent events of COVID-19 (Poole et

al., 2021). COVID-19’s impacts to school have affected food security tremendously, and families

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with children have had to rely on food programs to buoy their households (Poole et al., 2021).

Around 30 million children are not able to receive food that they would typically receive at

school due to the pandemic (Poole et al., 2021). Heads of households have lost jobs, and many

schools have been closed. Even with hybrid formats, children are still struggling with food

insecurity. Weekends are particularly complex in the COVID-19 pandemic, as many families are

struggling to adequately provide food (Poole et al., 2021).

Current Policy Provisions and Funding

When policies are put into place to address food insecurity and hunger, there are many

benefits for the country at large. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the

largest federally funded program to address hunger in the United States, and it is an aspect of the

Food Stamp Act of 1964 (Nestle, 2019). Although its name has been changed to SNAP, the

benefits associated with SNAP were an important aspect of the Food Stamp Act of 1964 (Nestle,

2019). The Food Stamp Act of 1964 was passed in response to the John F. Kennedy finding out

that the views of American prosperity were not the case for all Americans (Kornbluh, 2015). The

Food Stamp Act of 1964 was passed in order to address hunger that was fueled by the rampant

poverty issues in the United States, particularly in the South and Appalachia America (Kornbluh,

2015). This act included WIC, food programs for children, and food stamps (Kornbluh, 2015).

One distinguishing characteristic of SNAP is its protection under the Farm Bill, which does not

allow for SNAP to ever be fully eliminated from American policy (Nestle, 2019). This was

partially passed because there has been a long-term uproar by politicians to eliminate the

supposed SNAP schemers that leech off of welfare benefits (Nestle, 2019). There are many

reasons why investing in SNAP represents value for American society. When money is invested

into SNAP, there are many beneficial effects to the economy. One billion dollars of funding has

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established around 8,900 to 17,000 jobs (Feeding America, 2021). Additionally, when one

billion dollars is invested into SNAP, the United States’ gross domestic product increases by 1.5

billion dollars (Nestle, 2019). Currently, 68 billion dollars are spent on SNAP (Center on Budget

and Policy Priorities, 2019). The USDA funds all of the benefits, but 50 percent of the

administrative costs are up to the specific states and counties to cover (Barusch, 2018). Even

though it is funded federally, states have their own offices that individuals attempting to receive

SNAP benefits must go to in order to complete the SNAP application process (Center on Budget

and Policy Priorities, 2019).

Eligibility

Any person can apply to receive SNAP benefits if they have qualifying incomes because

SNAP is a means-tested program (Nestle, 2019). Federally, incomes at or below 130 percent of

the federal poverty line qualify for SNAP (USDA, 2021). For this reason, the SNAP program is a

means-tested program. The program targets families with children (USDA, 2021). There are

rules surrounding households without any children. If you do not have children and are able to

work, you can only get benefits for three months during a three-year timeframe, then you are

required to work a minimum of 20 hours a week in a job or participate in a job training program

for an equivalent timeframe (USDA, 2021). Additionally, most participants are United States

citizens. Undocumented immigrants are excluded from SNAP (Keith-Jennings et al., 2019).

Even though there are certain immigrant groups that qualify for SNAP, several other groups do

not qualify (Keith-Jennings et al., 2019). In Illinois, income, household expenses, and the

number of people in a household are considered in the determination of SNAP benefits (Illinois

Department of Human Services, 2019). It is necessary to consult one’s state-specific office to

determine the particular benefits (Illinois Department of Human Services, 2019).

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Benefits and Delivery of SNAP

Individuals who receive SNAP benefits will be given these resources through the Illinois

Link Card, and this card functions similarly to a debit card (Illinois Department of Human

Services, 2020). However, individuals cannot spend their SNAP money on all items available for

purchase. They are only allowed to spend their SNAP benefits on food items. They can buy most

food items, drinks, and food plants, but there are some exceptions relating to what SNAP

participants are able to purchase (Nestle, 2019). They cannot buy tobacco, pet food, foods that

are hot, supplements, or alcohol (Nestle, 2019). The USDA, which helps facilitate the SNAP

program, regulates some official stores to have SNAP-approved food available for those in the

program (Nestle, 2019). For this reason, most SNAP benefits are spent at grocery stores and gas

stations/convenience stores, but New York has recently tested how SNAP could be used online

food markets, like Amazon and Walmart (Nestle, 2019).

Strengths and Weaknesses of SNAP

With SNAP being a significant program to address hunger issues in the United States, it

is important to consider how well it targets the policy’s concerns. One major strength of the

program is its ability to focus on the vulnerable populations in the United States (Gundersen,

2019). In some ways, SNAP adequately addresses hunger for those that are below the 130

percent index, and the very specific eligibility requirements successfully targets those with the

greatest likelihood of struggling with hunger (Gundersen, 2019). Even though poverty alleviation

is not necessarily the prime reason for SNAP’s development, those who are struggling with

poverty are targeted through the income requirements (Gundersen, 2019). An additional strength

of SNAP is its options which allow those that receive benefits more flexibility. Many stores

allow shoppers to use their SNAP cards, thus offering flexibility to participants (Gundersen,

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2019). This allows recipients the opportunity to choose how they spend their SNAP benefits, and

it does not limit them into specific locations to pick up their benefits (Gundersen, 2019). Another

strength of the SNAP program is that the current concerns associated with hunger and the

COVID-19 pandemic have been incorporated into the policy. For instance, programs that target

the malnutrition of children often took place in schools, such as the National School Lunch

Program (Poole et al., 2021). In the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, SNAP benefits

were allowed to increase to the maximum amount for a family of four people (Poole et al., 2021).

Even though the attempts to adapt the SNAP program to fit the new needs of the pandemic are

admirable, it also is important to consider that the increase in the SNAP benefits didn’t impact

the families collecting the maximum amount of SNAP benefits (Poole et al., 2021).

Though SNAP has greatly impacted hunger and food insecurity in the United States, it is

important to note that there are significant weaknesses in the current policy. Even though it could

be argued that SNAP’s current iteration adequately provides benefits, one weakness of SNAP is

that the eligibility requirements can be very rigid and favor individuals with children. For this

reason, some people may be left out and unable to receive food resources. Those who are

unemployed, able-bodied, and do not have any children are held to very rigid standards with

limited timeframes of program involvement (Gundersen, 2019). College students often fit into

these descriptions, and even though they are needy, as such are typically not able to qualify for

SNAP (Keith-Jennings et al., 2019). Additionally, these strict requirements are punitive to

individuals who are viewed as able-bodied. The specific work requirements of SNAP can ignore

a very vulnerable population in individuals with disabilities (Ku et al., 2020). Another

problematic component of SNAP is its limitations on the types of items purchased (Gundersen,

2019). The USDA affirms that these rules and regulations are important in order to make sure

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that the recipients are using their SNAP benefits for the most important items to prevent

malnutrition (Gundersen, 2019). These limitations are important to consider because they limit

the self-determination of SNAP recipients and also intensify the stigmas associated with

individuals who partake in SNAP (Gundersen, 2019). By making SNAP more regulated and

making some purchases taboo, these regulations alienate and isolate SNAP recipients further

from their communities. There can be additional restrictions if an individual has a felony, and

this can greatly impact marginalized communities who have been targets of mass incarceration

(Gundersen, 2019). In Ku et al.’s work, they examined how the work requirements can impact

the equity of SNAP and put the supposed equality of the program into question. Their research

found that the work requirements of SNAP made Black and Latinx Americans less likely to

participate in SNAP than their White counterparts (Ku et al., 2020). Another weakness is that the

program might not provide adequate resources in order for families to purchase enough food.

SNAP recipients often purchase the bulk of their goods at the beginning of the month, having

little money left over. As a result, families often decrease their caloric intake by 38 percent in the

later part of any given month. (Keith-Jennings et al, 2019). This is an important point to consider

because families may not be able to purchase nutrient-dense foods with such a limited budget. As

a result of this low amount of money per meal, the SNAP benefits provided often causes many

families to seek out unhealthier food options to make SNAP stretch. Obesity has become a

significant issue after the passage of SNAP in the Food Stamp Act of 1964 (Baum, 2011).

The SNAP program also can be evaluated through the lens of adequacy, equality, and

equity. This program is very much adequacy-based because there is a standard which if not met

is considered inadequate. That standard is at or below 130 percent poverty line (USDA, 2021).

The government has deemed that those below this poverty line would be living in inadequate

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conditions, primarily food insecurity. The SNAP program does not seem to be concerned with

numeric or proportional equality. If it were, these benefits would be going equally to everyone in

the United States or to only those that earn more and thus pay more taxes. On the other hand,

SNAP can be seen as equitable depending on one’s perspective. If one believes that families are

providing the state with an important service, that service being raising children to be productive

citizens, then the assistance they receive would be equitable. However, if one believes that

children and less advantaged families are a drain on society, providing little benefit compared to

families with higher earning jobs, then SNAP would not be seen as equitable. SNAP is equitable,

because it is providing crucial resources for families to nurture the next generation.

Policy Recommendations

Even though SNAP has provided significant resources for individuals struggling with

hunger in the United States, it is important that the policy continually improves to fit the needs of

American society. One aspect of the SNAP program that should be reconsidered to improve its

adequacy, equity, and equality is the work requirements necessary receive these benefits. For

instance, if the United States changed the work requirements, SNAP would cover more

Americans and as such would better represent numeric equality. College students are an

extremely vulnerable population, and it would be worthwhile to reconsider work requirements in

their case (Keith-Jennings et al., 2019). Relaxing student work requirements would make the

policy more equitable, as students would be receiving compensation for the future value the state

will receive in tax revenue after these individuals become educated. Additionally, the work

requirements would also help to address the equality issues of SNAP. The policy associated with

SNAP is unintentionally not providing equality to African American and Latinx individuals in

the United States (Ku et al., 2020).

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Another component of SNAP that should be examined and altered is its stipulations on

the products that individuals can buy with SNAP. In American history, there has been a

maligning of welfare policies, leading to the limiting of these types of purchases (Nestle, 2019).

These effects have been predominantly been present in African American and Latinx individuals

and families, realized in lowered participation in the program (Nestle, 2019). By relaxing these

regulations, the policy better represents equality through the increased participation of qualifying

families and individuals.

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References

Barusch, A. S. (2017). Foundations of Social Policy: Social Justice in Human Perspective, Sixth

Edition. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Baum, C. L. (2011). The Effects of Food Stamps on Obesity. Southern Economic Journal, 77(3),

623–651. https://doi-org.proxy2.library.illinois.edu/10.4284/sej.2011.77.3.623

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (2021). Policy basics: The Supplemental Nutrition

Assistance Program (SNAP). Retrieved April 9, 2021, from

https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/the-supplemental-nutrition-assistance

program-snap

Coleman-Jensen, A., Rabbitt, M., Gregory, C., Singh, A. (2020). Household Food Insecurity in

the United States in 2019. Economic Research Report. Retrieved from:

https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/99282/err 275.pdf?v=9606.7

Feeding America. (2021). Understanding SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance

Program. Retrieved April 11, 2021, from https://www.feedingamerica.org/take

action/advocate/federal-hunger-relief-programs/snap

Gundersen, C. (2019). The Right to Food in the United States: The Role of the Supplemental

Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). American Journal of Agricultural

Economics, 101(5), 1328–1336. https://doi

org.proxy2.library.illinois.edu/https://academic.oup.com/ajae/issue

Gundersen, C. & Ziliak, J. (2015). Food insecurity and health outcomes: Health Affairs Journal.

Retrieved April 11, 2021, from

https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0645

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Illinois Department of Human Services (2020). Supplemental nutrition Assistance program -

Snap (10/01/2020). Retrieved April 11, 2021, from https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?

item=30357

Keith-Jennings, B., Llobrera, J., & Dean, S. (2019). Links of the Supplemental Nutrition

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Potential. American Journal of Public Health, 109(12), 1636–1640. https://doi-

org.proxy2.library.illinois.edu/10.2105/AJPH.2019.305325

Kornbluh, F. (2015). Food as a Civil Right: Hunger, Work, and Welfare in the South after the

Civil Rights Act. Labor: Studies in Working Class History of the Americas, 12(1/2), 135

158. https://doi-org.proxy2.library.illinois.edu/10.1215/15476715-2837640

Ku, L. (2020). Association of Work Requirements With Supplemental Nutrition Assistance

Program Participation by Race/Ethnicity and Disability Status, 2013-2017. JAMA

Network Open., 3(6), e205824. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.5824

Nestle, M. (2019). The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): History, Politics,

and Public Health Implications. American Journal of Public Health, 109(12), 1631–1635.

https://doi-org.proxy2.library.illinois.edu/10.2105/AJPH.2019.305361

Poole, M. K., Fleischhacker, S. E., & Bleich, S. N. (2021). Addressing Child Hunger When

School Is Closed - Considerations during the Pandemic and Beyond. The New England

Journal of Medicine, 384(10), e35. https://doi

org.proxy2.library.illinois.edu/10.1056/NEJMp2033629

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USDA. (2021). Food security and Nutrition Assistance. Retrieved April 11, 2021, from

https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-charting-the

essentials/food-security-and-nutrition-assistance/

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