SNAP benefits in 78% of US counties fail to cover the cost of a moderately priced meal by 15%, heightening food insecurity. Soaring food prices in 2022 worsened the situation, and the expiration of pandemic aid further impacted low-income families. Though 2023 adjustments improved benefits in some counties, disparities remain. Experts call for strengthening SNAP by removing time limits, allowing COLAs during high inflation, and ensuring adequate coverage.
A study funded by the RWJF has found that SNAP benefits are failing to cover the cost of a moderately priced meal by 15 percent in 78 percent of counties in the United States, leading to heightened food insecurity.
In 2022, soaring food prices further exacerbated the issue, with the price of a moderately priced meal surpassing the maximum SNAP per-meal benefit by 15 percent. The separate data from the Urban Institute survey indicated that food costs experienced the highest year-on-year inflation rate in 43 years, raising concerns about escalating food insecurity. This problem was exacerbated by the expiration of federal pandemic aid earlier in the year, resulting in monthly SNAP benefit cuts in several states.
The situation, however, saw some improvement in 2023 with the implementation of the cost-of-living adjustment by the US Department of Agriculture. The adjustment yielded positive changes, with “adequate” benefits reported in 687 counties, up from just 27. The percentage of counties where SNAP benefits fell short of average meal costs decreased from 99 percent to 78 percent.
Elaine Waxman, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, emphasized that despite the improvements, many communities still struggle with food insecurity due to inadequacies in benefit amounts. The gap between SNAP benefits and meal costs narrowed from 75 percent to 50 percent in the five counties with the largest gaps post-2023 COLA, but urban areas continued to face wider disparities.
Food insecurity is a critical social determinant of health, closely linked with income and associated with negative clinical outcomes, particularly for diet-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Studies have shown that even minor increases in SNAP benefits could significantly improve dietary habits and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
Unfortunately, the ongoing pandemic has worsened food insecurity, affecting minorities disproportionately and leading to canceled or delayed care.
The impact of food insecurity varies among demographics, with Black individuals being twice as likely to face food insecurity, and Hispanic individuals being over 1.5 times more likely than White individuals to experience it.
The upcoming reauthorization of the Farm Bill, with over 80 percent of spending allocated to nutrition programs like SNAP, holds great importance in addressing these issues. However, some policymakers are calling for cuts to SNAP spending, introducing stringent work requirements and benefit time limits for many adults aged 54 and younger without dependent children, despite evidence suggesting that these regulations do not meaningfully enhance employment outcomes but significantly reduce SNAP participation.
To combat the escalating food insecurity, experts advocate for strengthening and expanding SNAP. They suggest abolishing strict time limits on SNAP benefits, allowing for two COLAs per year during times of high inflation, and ensuring that SNAP benefits cover the cost of a moderately priced meal. This approach would help low-income households put food on the table and alleviate the burden of food insecurity in the United States.
