“We should be building a bridge that helps families achieve greater economic stability, not pulling the rug out from under them as they make progress,” said Kelemen.
Contact: Ryan Flaherty at rflaherty@strength.org
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, USDA published a proposed rule that would restrict Broad Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE), a policy that allows states to align SNAP eligibility with other federal benefit programs. Today begins a 30 day comment period. The following is a statement George Kelemen, senior vice president for Share Our Strength and its No Kid Hungry campaign:
“USDA's proposal to eliminate Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE) is yet another blow to the families working hard to put food on the table. Already, 5.5 million Americans have lost SNAP since Congress passed historic cuts last summer, including an estimated 2 million children nationwide. This proposal, along with the other harmful policies to weaken nutrition programs, will worsen our growing hunger crisis. Under this new rule, an estimated 6.3 million more Americans could lose their SNAP benefits.
“We should be building a bridge that helps families achieve greater economic stability, not pulling the rug out from under them as they make progress. BBCE is a practical, effective policy that helps states cut through red tape in administering SNAP. This streamlining measure lowers administrative costs and reduces payment error rates, key goals for states that are even more important as a result of structural changes made to SNAP through H.R.1.
“BBCE is a key tool to support and incentivize work, which is a bipartisan priority. It eases the benefit cliff by giving working families room to modestly grow their earnings and build savings without abruptly losing their grocery benefits. Without BBCE, a pay raise as small as 50 cents could push a single mom over the eligibility threshold, costing her family their food assistance.
“And the consequences of eliminating BBCE don't stop at the grocery store. SNAP also connects eligible children to free school meals and summer nutrition programs and streamlines access to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Losing SNAP risks losing access to these programs, compounding the impact on kids, pregnant women and new moms.
“USDA must act to protect kids by preserving this effective policy. Furthermore, Congress must stand up for these families by preventing additional SNAP cuts from going into effect and strengthening nutrition programs for the future so that all kids get the fuel they need at home and at school to reach their full potential.”
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About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in the United States live with hunger. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty.