What is the “Thrifty Food Plan” and how does it influence the increase in SNAP coupon benefits?
An adjustment to the estimated cost of purchasing what is needed to prepare a nutritious and healthy diet at home is done on an annual basis. Here’s a look…
At the beginning of October, an increase in monthly payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as ‘food stamps’, came into effect. This was thanks to a revaluation of the cost of living and minimum requirements for each individual.
SNAP benefit amounts are updated each year based on the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan in June and then the adjustment goes into effect on October 1. “The Thrifty Food Plan is the cost of food necessary to provide a healthy, budget-conscious diet for a family of four,” explains the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The USDA itself is the agency in charge of regulating the total amount of said payments through a simple equation based on variables such as prices, salaries, transportation costs or nutritional guidelines which give some guidelines for estimating the cost of a healthy diet prepared at home for a “reference” family. The legal definition of a “reference” family does not affect household eligibility for SNAP.
How does this increase influence food stamps?
The new increase directly affects some 41 million SNAP beneficiaries, practically the entire group. Despite this good news, a series of new work eligibility requirements have also gone into effect at the same time as this improvement.
Specifically, starting this October 1, the age range will be 18 to 52 years old for adults physically able to work who do not have dependents (ABAWD) and who apply for SNAP. Before the requirement affected those who were age 18 to 50.
This means that potential SNAP beneficiaries up to age 52 must prove that they are working at least 80 hours per month or that they are enrolled in an education or job training program to receive the benefits to secure nutritious food.