Cuts to Food Stamps Take Effect, Add Pressure to Food Banks

Congress has been deliberating over existential questions about food stamps, now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and whether the program belongs in the Farm Bill at all. 

But while those questions remain unanswered, a 5-percent cut to SNAP—in California, CalFresh—took effect Friday. 

The cuts reduce federal spending by about $5 billion in the next fiscal year, while House Republicans continue pushing for an additional $40 billion in SNAP cuts over the next 10 years. 

"It’s a step backward in a time when the need for social supports is so critical," says Sam Trevino, spokesman for the Monterey County Department of Social and Employment Services. 

Many CalFresh recipients are working poor, he adds. "Nobody wants to be on CalFresh. That may be a myth, but people are on public assistance because they find themselves in a bind and have no choice.:

For a family of four receiving the maximum benefit, $668, today's cut will lower their monthly amount by $36, to $632, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Trevino says CalFresh benefits already aren't enough to feed most families, and the program is designed only to be a supplement, not an entire food budget. Many CalFresh recipients already rely on free food from food banks, particularly when seasonal unemployment bumps up in the winter months when Salinas Valley agriculture slows. 

"To be told, 'We’re going to reduce your benefits,' it just feels harsh," Trevino says. "We don’t have anything to offer as an alternative. Is there a well-paying job ready?"