Over 40 million Americans who depend on food stamps will have a hard Thanksgiving because their benefits are being stretched. Benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) were cut in 32 states when emergency help ended in March 2023. This was on top of the 18 states that were already facing cuts. This makes it hard for many people to buy a standard Thanksgiving meal.
Emergency payouts have been stopped, which means that qualified SNAP users will lose at least $95 a month, or $82 a person on average. In places like Alaska, Arkansas, Maryland, and New Jersey, SNAP applications have gone down. This could be because of tougher rules or less knowledge. This Thanksgiving, there will be longer lines at food banks in places like Atlanta and Houston because of rising prices and cuts to food stamps. But in some places, more people are signing up for SNAP, which is good news for people who need help during the holidays.
The Illinois Policy Institute says that from September 2022 to 2023, over 5,600 more families will be able to get SNAP payments in Illinois. Their study shows how important SNAP funds are for more than a million people in Illinois, helping over 200,000 more people than before the pandemic. The Institute recommends that getting rid of the state’s 1% food tax, which is only one of the ten largest population states and only found in thirteen others, could help families save more money for the holidays.
In his “election-year budget,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker put a one-year hold on the 1% tax, but it was later brought back.
