Trump Food Stamp Cuts Could Hit Montclair Pantry Clients Hard

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Hundreds of families at the Human Needs Food Pantry in Montclair rely on SNAP benefits – formerly known as food stamps – to help make ends meet. But after a controversial ruling from Trump Administration officials this week, about 250 households that are already struggling to put food on the table may have to tighten their belts even more.

On Dec. 4, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) gave a final stamp of approval to a rule that will likely remove about 700,000 people from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The expected savings? Roughly $5.5 billion, The New York Times reported.

Citing “direction from President Donald Trump,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said the new rule will restores the system to what Congress intended: “assistance through difficult times, not a way of life.”

Read more about the USDA’s stance on the new SNAP guidelines.

Hunger Free New Jersey offered the following background about the new ruling:

“In 1996, when Congress enacted time limits on SNAP (then called food stamps) for certain adults who were unable to document sufficient hours of work each month, Congress provided that states could request from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) waivers on the time limits for areas with too few jobs. The area waivers are important, although insufficient, safety valves for protecting food assistance for persons who are seeking but unable to find sufficient hours of work. In the decades since, USDA has followed the decision of Congress and processed area waiver requests from governors of both political parties based on accepted economic factors and metrics. The administration has now arbitrarily narrowed states' ability to waive the time limit in many areas with insufficient jobs. This action flies in the face of congressional intent, coming almost a year after Congress passed the Farm Bill that left the current area waiver provisions in place.”

Most portions of the rule are slated to take effect on April 1, 2020, unless Congress or the courts act to stop or delay it.

The USDA has stated that its final rule promotes work for able-bodied adults between the ages of 18 and 49 without dependents, and does not apply to children and their parents, those over 50 years old – including the elderly – those with a disability, or pregnant women.

However, despite the agency's statements, many advocates have claimed it will make unbearable situations even tougher for financially struggling families. Those critics include staff at the Human Needs Food Pantry in Montclair.

“Unfortunately, this will affect our client families, and two more cuts to the food stamps program are likely to be approved as well,” the pantry wrote on social media.

“We have approximately 250 households registered here who receive food stamps,” Executive Director Mike Bruno told Patch. “Any loss of that benefit will likely worsen their already fragile situations. There's a good possibility we'll see an increase in people seeking assistance who were getting by with the help of the SNAP program.”

According to Bruno, the people who receive SNAP benefits get anywhere from $15 to a few hundred dollars per month, depending on the size of their family and other criteria. Many of them are “just managing to get by” with the help they receive from this program, he said.

“Having that small benefit each month allows them to focus their meager incomes on other necessary non-food items like their rent and utilities,” Bruno said. “Having to reallocate their income to make up the difference can cause serious problems for this already vulnerable community. It’s also likely to cause an uptick in the people registering for food assistance at food pantries and soup kitchens, further taxing the resources of those organizations. Surely, cuts could be made from other government programs that would not affect people already struggling to get by.”

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The prospect of stringent enforcement of the federal work requirement seems like a good idea on paper, but just finding work can be extremely difficult for many of the people who receive assistance, Bruno added.

“Although the government touts low unemployment numbers, the number of jobs available are still limited, resulting in many over-qualified people vying for employment opportunities,” Bruno said. “SNAP recipients can be further hindered by the lack of transportation and other factors.”

Residents of Montclair aren’t the only ones in the Garden State that are expected to take a hit from the new rules.

“This change will surely increase hunger in New Jersey,” said Adele LaTourette, director of Hunger Free New Jersey. “These folks are among the poorest of the poor and usually ineligible to receive any other government assistance. Often, SNAP is the only help they receive. To deny this basic help to our most vulnerable residents is unconscionable.”

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

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