More cuts are on the way for food stamp
recipients. 900,000 New Jerseyans receive
benefits from SNAP -- that's the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program. But, starting February 1st, that
number will be less. We begin with WMBC's Burt Sempier.
Thousands of New
Jersey residents could lose their
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program benefits if they don't find work
by the end of the month. Federal rules
require that adults ages 18 to 50, who are able
to work, can only get SNAP benefits for
three months in a three-year period,
unless they work at least 20 hours a
week every week or participate in a
approved employment and training or work
fare program.
Today, advocates are calling on the state to
seek a federal waiver for assistance to
keep 18 to 50 year olds, who are
unemployed, from losing their SNAP benefits.
While New Jersey no longer qualifies for  a statewide
waiver, it can get waivers for much of
the state to prevent these adults from
losing their food benefits. Today, Adele
LaTourette, the Director of the New
Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition, spoke about
what she and others call "devastating
cuts." It's going to mean a loss of federal funds. We're not sure what
the amount of loss of federal funds will
be, but what it will do
is impact at least 11 to 30,000 people,
who need to fulfill training and work
requirements of more than 20 hours a
week in areas of the state where there
simply are not training programs or work
programs. The cuts to the SNAP program will
take effect on February 1st and, today,
officials say soup kitchens and food
pantries are going to see an increase in
people looking for food.
All those people -- the potentially 11 to
30,000 people -- will have nowhere else to go,
but to a pantry, and they may be doing
that for the first time because they're
SNAP benefits allowed them to not
have to do that or they may be going
multiple times because they use SNAP and
feeding programs to shore up their
household budget. Last year, the Community
FoodBank of New Jersey distributed over
44 million pounds of food across the
state. Riley says with thousands of
New Jerseyans potentially being affected
by the SNAP cuts, that it is vital for
people to donate to the state's food
pantries and soup kitchens. Reporting in
Trenton. Burt Sempier. WMBC News.
