Those who started relying on SNAP after May 2021 and have children born before Aug. “These additional benefits will continue to help Texans provide food for their families.”įamilies who received the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program before 2021 were set to automatically receive benefits on their P-EBT cards by May 28. Department of Agriculture for approving this second round of pandemic food benefits for Texas families,” Abbott said in a statement. Greg Abbott announced May 20 that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission would allocate more than $2.5 billion in food benefits to all eligible families, an increase from the $1 billion in food benefits distributed last year. There's somebody who's in bigger need than I am.' But everyone goes through difficult situations in their life," Witte said.Gov. We do get some community members who say, 'No. Take advantage of the resources that are out in the community. Local nonprofits like BakerRipley expect to see a surge in clients in the upcoming months as the gap widens for food insecurity and demand for food banks increase. I wish they could see some of these situations people have to go through." "When you go to the store, you've got to look for specials and bargains because you can't afford to buy food like you used to," said an elderly woman who lives with her husband, both of whom are in their 70s. Breakfast cereals and bread went up by 15%. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that butter increased by 31%. However, experts said we have to keep in mind that food prices have risen by 10.1% from just a year ago. The extra money was always meant to be temporary. READ MORE: End of expanded SNAP benefits may push Black, Latino communities into poverty: Study "My concern with ending the COVID-era addition to the SNAP benefit - we're going to see a lot more families fall back into poverty and a lot more children who will go hungry." Rachel Kimbro, dean of social sciences at Rice University. The reduction in child poverty that we saw with the additional SNAP benefit actually impacted Black and brown families the most," said Dr. "We know that Black and brown communities are more impacted by food insecurity than others. Child poverty was reduced overall by 14.%, but the greatest decrease was among Black children at 18.4%. Research by the Urban Institute shows the emergency allotments kept nearly 4.2 million people out of poverty, which is 9.6% in states with the additional SNAP benefits in the fourth quarter of 2021. Depending on family size and income, some families can lose hundreds of dollars each month. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the average household will lose about $95 per month in money for groceries. SNAP is there for a reason."Ĭongress traded the extra SNAP funds for a new permanent program to replace school meals during the summer for low-income families. We can't constantly depend on the charity of others. There are only so many food banks that are out there and willing to help. You don't see doctors," said one woman with toddlers in her family. But they shared how losing this extra money will force them into making very difficult decisions. SNAP recipients who spoke to ABC13 asked not to have their names or faces shown due to their financial situation. The end of the emergency allotments comes during a time when struggling families are dealing with low wages, inflation, and rising food costs. They're worried about what food is going to go on their table the next day, getting their bills paid, and having a roof over their head," said Rocio Witte, community developer for BakerRipley. ![]() We have community members who face some really drastic basic needs. We're seeing community members that we don't normally see that are coming to our food fairs. "This is to address the urgent needs in the community. Through a partnership with the Houston Food Bank, they helped nearly 250 people in need and ran out of food earlier than expected. READ MORE: Pandemic-era food stamps end March 1 for nearly 30M Americans: 'We're really going to struggle'īakerRipley's monthly food fair at the East Aldine campus fell on the same day the extra SNAP benefits expired. The "emergency allotments" were a temporary measure enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that provided SNAP recipients in participating states with the maximum monthly amount eligible for their family size. Researchers who studied child poverty found that the program had the biggest impact on Black families. ![]() HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) - The program that temporarily increased federal SNAP benefits for low-income families nearly three years ago came to an end Wednesday, leaving millions of people across the country with less money to buy food.
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