WI, NJ & MO see food stamp cuts resulting from refusal of heating assistance benefits
Wisconsin is one of three states to end a program that allowed residents access to increased food assistance paid for by the federal government through "heat-and-eat" programs.
Wisconsin, New Jersey and Michigan residents will see cuts in federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) benefits as a result of the states' decisions not to increase the amount of heating assistance given to people in poverty.
The choice was prompted by the farm bill reauthorized by Congress in February. As part of the nearly $1 trillion bill, lawmakers changed the requirements of heat-and-eat programs. Before the changes, states that gave residents as little as $1 were qualified to receive an average of $1,080 in additional food stamps. States are now required to contribute $20 per household in order to receive federal food stamp funding.
The farm bill provision was designed to cut spending on food stamps as states dropped out of the program. Sixteen states participated in the program, and had all of them been pushed out, savings were estimated at $8.6 billion over the next 10 years.
But all but three have pledged to pay for the increased minimum through other means in order to continue to qualify for the funding.
Wisconsin, New Jersey and Michigan account for 20 percent of food-stamp recipients among the 16 states.
Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/local/writers/jessie-opoien/wisconsin-one-of-three-states-to-reject-food-stamp-increase/article_ac1cdac8-ef38-55cf-bac6-732341209772.html#ixzz3Vk7FwpCB
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