A new USDA report showsthat the positive impact of the 2009 SNAP benefits boost was eroded by food price inflation since then. Adjusted for inflation in food prices, the maximum SNAP benefit declined by about 7%, or about $47 per month for a family of four, according to USDA. This has led to a significant increase (16.5%) in very low food security in SNAP households and a 4.4% decrease in median food spending by SNAP households. USDA’s studies suggest that increasing the maximum SNAP benefit by 10% ($69 per month for a family of four persons) would reduce the number of SNAP-recipient households with very low food security by about 22%, while reducing the maximum benefit by 10% would increase that number by about 29%.
Source: USDA, 8/13, Inflation Lessens SNAP Benefit
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