More than 100,000 lower-income Virginians could lose access to food assistance when new more strict eligibility standards go into place. That's according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, which also estimates the cost to Virginia of maintaining the current benefits would be about $350 million a year.
"Expanding red-tape work reporting requirements ends up throwing a lot of families that are already working or who should be exempt because of disabilities or they are elderly off of the help that they need," says Levi Goren at the Commonwealth Institute, "because it imposes really high red-tape burdens that people have trouble meeting because they are already working a low-paid job."
It’s not just individuals who will suffer. Cassie Edner of the Virginia Poverty Law Center says lower-income communities will also feel the pinch.
"SNAP is also a lifeline during an economic downturn. Every dollar that you spend in SNAP brings $1.50 to the local economy," according to Edner. "So, these cuts are going to harm Virginians, Virginia families, individuals who live in food deserts and to our economy."
Cuts to SNAP, also sometimes called food stamps, will go into effect on October 1, 2027.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
