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Need SNAP benefits? You may have to wait.

Nov 20, 2023
In more than a dozen states, less than 80% of SNAP applications are being processed on time. Before the pandemic, the numbers were much better.
The most recent data show that applications for SNAP benefits are being processed late in a dozen states, including New York and Georgia.
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The SNAP work reporting requirement age just rose by one year. It's already affecting who gets benefits.

Sep 11, 2023
The upper age limit for SNAP recipients (able bodied, without dependents) who have to prove they’re working or looking for work at least part time has just risen from age 49 to age 50. Eventually it'll go up to age 54.
"We estimate that up to 750,000 individuals could lose [SNAP] benefits," said Ed Bolen with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Above, a sign alerting customers that a store accepts SNAP benefits.
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One mom on what the end of additional SNAP benefits means for her family

Mar 21, 2023
Millions of people have had their benefits cut by at least $95 a month, at a time when food prices are up almost 10%.
Mansie Meikle with her 4-year-old daughter.
Samantha Fields/Marketplace

More stores are accepting SNAP benefits for online grocery orders

Feb 22, 2023
Here's why it took a pandemic to make it happen, and why the practice is probably here to stay.
Until recently, most grocery stores weren’t accepting SNAP online. But now retailers like Walmart, Amazon and recently Wegmans have begun to.
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For the 2023 Farm Bill, expect a political showdown over SNAP benefits

Feb 16, 2023
Congress will be debating food aid programs covered by the bill, just as pandemic-era funding increases for food aid expire while grocery costs remain high.
As grocery costs remain high, a shrinking budget for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could be a strain for recipients.
Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

What to expect from the 2023 Farm Bill

Dec 28, 2022
Advocates for everything from nutrition programs to tribal food sovereignty to climate and sustainability initiatives will be keeping an eye on the bill next year.
Above, a sign alerting customers about SNAP food stamps benefits — which are funded through the Farm Bill — is displayed at a Brooklyn grocery store.
Scott Heins/Getty Images

On Buffalo’s east side, inflation intensifies the daily struggle to buy food

“I have to get less food,” one shopper said. “So I plan very carefully with my food stamps.”
Shoppers at a mobile farmers market in east Buffalo, New York, where many residents struggle with access to grocery stores.
Brandon Watson

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How SNAP expands to help after a natural disaster

Oct 5, 2022
The Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or D-SNAP, helps people access food aid or replace groceries damaged by disasters like Hurricane Ian.
Though Florida residents can seek free water and food through volunteer services, they can also apply for emergency food assistance through SNAP.
Giorgio Vera/AFP via Getty Images

School lunches aren't free to everyone anymore. Some advocates think they should be.

Jun 30, 2022
There are a lot of benefits to making school lunch and other social benefits more universal. But, yes, it's expensive to do.
Despite the popularity of universal free lunches during the pandemic, lawmakers allowed the program to expire.
Jon Cherry/Getty Images

For people on benefits, inflation adjustments lag behind

Dec 10, 2021
Social security and SNAP benefits are adjusted every year for inflation. While that tends to be enough in normal years, it's not enough right now.
For those on fixed incomes, inflated prices on everyday items like rent and food can hit particularly hard.
Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images