The legislative session has kicked off for the year with a bang, with the schools choice act quickly passing the legislature.
Another bill being proposed in committees right now would make changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Association Program (SNAP) in the State of Iowa. Language of the bill would place restrictions on Iowans receiving SNAP funding, adding restrictions to a program that’s helping many of the most disadvantaged Iowans place food on their tables.
Members of many of the food banks that serve people in the state have been trying to educate what any changes to SNAP funding or distribution might mean to the state by giving a perspective of how many the program helps.
In fiscal year 2021, SNAP helped: 286,100 Iowa residents, or 9% of the state population (1 in 11) and 41,500,000 participants in the United States, or 13% of the total population (1 in 8).
In Iowa, more than 69% of SNAP participants are in families with children, almost 31% are in families with members who are older adults or are disabled and almost 53% are in working families.
According to information provided by those food banks, every dollar spent in SNAP benefits helps generate between $1.50 and $1.80 in LOCAL economic activity, as the funding helps generate money locally in these communities.
Two-thirds of people who receive SNAP are kids, seniors, and people living with disabilities.
Households usually spend their monthly benefits right away, so SNAP provides quick support to local economies.
More than 341,890 Iowans have been identified as food insecure.
• 11.8% seniors in Iowa are food insecure
• 1 in roughly 9 people
• 94,270 children in Iowa live without enough food to eat
As Southeast Linn Community Center executive director Nicole McAlexander noted, the local food bank has already seen a 30 percent increase following SNAP funding falling back to pre-pandemic funding in 2022. Further changes to SNAP funding will only increase the amount of need not only locally, but throughout the state, which will also mean more impact to SELCC’s budget and food banks in the State of Iowa as they try to cater to the demands these changes would make for clients.
These working families have already been hit hard with the pandemic and inflation eating more into their pocketbooks, and adding restrictions to the foods assistance can provide is only going to add to the food insecurity of many, as they’ll have to pay more for items that will not be covered or have aid taken away from them for arbitrary reasons.
We encourage our readers to reach out to their legislators to help put a stop to any changes to SNAP in this state. We don’t need more red tape or restrictions on a federal program that benefits those who need a helping hand the most.