FRAC Chat

On August 16, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that its reevaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) will result in an increase in average monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits of $36.24 per person compared with pre-COVID-19 levels. Average SNAP benefits will rise from the pre-COVID-19 amount of $4.20 per person per day to $5.39. The change will be implemented October 1, 2021, the start of federal fiscal year 2022.

In mid-August, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is likely to announce the results of its reevaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), the basis for calculating maximum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit levels. The reevaluation was mandated by the bipartisan 2018 Farm Bill and directed by a Biden Executive Order. It could result in a permanent increase in SNAP benefits effective October 1, 2021, the start of federal fiscal year 2022.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits have been crucial in mitigating food hardship and stimulating economic activity during the COVID-19 crisis. 

A new report from the Urban Institute, however, documents that maximum SNAP benefit levels still fall short of the cost of low-income meals in 96 percent of all U.S. counties. Moreover, even with the 15 percent boost temporarily in place since January 2021, maximum SNAP benefits fall short of meal costs in 4 out of 10 counties. 

Kaiser Permanente and the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), including FRAC’s initiatives, have partnered together many times to address food insecurity. Maryland Hunger Solutions (MDHS) worked with Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic Region on a “food as medicine” initiative as recently as 2015. Kaiser Permanente has also supported the community outreach work of MDHS and D.C. Hunger Solutions (DCHS) over the last decade.

This month marks the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990. This was a landmark event for the disability rights movement, as it was the first federal legislation designed to prevent discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life. Before the ADA’s enactment, it was common for individuals with disabilities to be turned away from jobs, denied housing, and refused the same access to public and private spaces as the general public. While the ADA has bolstered civil rights for millions of individuals living with a disability, significant challenges remain to achieving an inclusive society. This is particularly true regarding income equality and food security for people with disabilities.