To the Editor:
There are 28 states in the US that dominate SNAP benefits. The majority are blues states. The amount of fraud in the SNAP program is overwhelming. The question that needs to be asked is why does the US have 42 million people receiving SNAP benefits?
According to the Economic Policy Institute the purpose of the program is to supplement nutrition assistance for low-income households to assist adults in obtaining employment. The program was intended to restrict eligibility to those with limited liquid assets excluding house, vehicles, and bank accounts.
However, most states do not recognize the eligibility requirements supplying SNAP benefits to households who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and state financed General Assistance programs even if they do not meet the statutory SNAP income or asset requirements. From 2001 present SNAP enrollment has increased from 17.3 million to 42 million. Taxpayer costs went from $31 billion to $100.3 billion. Biden expanded SNAP allowing 13 million able-bodied adults to receive benefits. Of the 13 million 62% did not work at all.
According to the study, welfare is supposed to be provided for those who are truly needy and is limited based upon eligibility with liquid limited cash, homes, and bank accounts. Currently all requirements have been discarded. Recipients are given SNAP benefits automatically under Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and state financed General Assistance programs. Currently there are 42.1 million Americans in the SNAP program.
The 2002 Farm Bill passed by President George W. Bush expanded eligibility to non-citizens and immigrant children. Obama Ramped it up by partnering with the Mexico government. Snap grew amongst Mexican nationals. The Biden Administration continued by adjusting wavers for the influx of undocumented migrants entering the US during his Presidency. Most notably those able-bodied adults without dependents between the ages of 18-49. This percentage of non-citizens grew from 28.7% in 2002 to its current level of 55%. All eligible children receive SNAP benefits an increase of 70% from 2002.
Currently, according to the Congressional Research Service, the cost of welfare in the US for low-income individuals exceeds $1 trillion annually. The Heritage Foundation has calculated that government provided cash, food, housing, medical, education and state provided social services exceed $65,000 per poor family with children. The outcome has created dependence on welfare, discouraged work, and has failed to deliver sustainable results. putting individuals back into the workforce.
The Obama Administration further encouraged states under what is called the Broad Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE) to hand out benefits. The Foundation for Government Accountability estimates 5.4 million SNAP recipients were made eligible with 4 million having assets well above statutory limits. Under BBCE states are not obligated to investigate assets of recipients. The Foundation found 6.6% of recipients well above the statutory limits. The 2021 Omnibus Bill under Biden included a provision increasing the maximum welfare benefit by 15%. He then increased the SNAP benefits under what he called the Thrifty Food Plan alone by 21.03 % to be updated each year for inflation. The Congressional Budget Office now estimates this increased Thrifty Food Plan will result in $250 to $300 billion between 2022-2033. Currently a household of four people could receive $973 a month, equating to $11,676. Currently only 26.6% of SNAP recipients have any earned income while 71.4% have no earned income whatsoever.
William R. Bellotti
Middlebury, CT
Bellotti served as Deputy Labor Commissioner under Gov. John Rowland