Food Security Policies
This policy inventory compiles some food security policies that states can choose to put into place to support economic security for families with young children.The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities offers state-by-state fact sheets on who benefits from SNAP, levels of benefits, and the impact of SNAP on state economies.
Protecting Family Eligibility for Transitional Food Assistance
- Allowing remaining eligible household members to receive transitional food assistance when a member of a household receiving SNAP benefits has been sanctioned but the household is still receiving benefits.
Example:
Source:
Adjusting SNAP Income and Asset Limits
- Setting gross income eligibility limits at 200% FPL and removing asset limits for SNAP
Sixteen states have adopted this policy.
Source:
NCCP: Early Childhood Profiles
- Using broad-based categorical eligibility policy in federal law to eliminate the benefit cliff for families whose earnings are just above the income threshold and adopt less restrictive asset tests
35 states have taken advantage of this flexibility
Source:
Modernizing SNAP Technology and Business Practices
- Using SNAP administrative funding to improve the customer experience, streamline access to benefits and services, and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of program administration
Source:
Urban: Exploring States’ SNAP Modernization Projects
CLASP: SNAP “Program Integrity” How Racialized Fraud Provisions Criminalize Hunger
SNAP Time Limits
- Waiving SNAP three-month time limits for certain categories of recipients in areas where there are insufficient jobs.
Source:
SNAP for people with prior felonies
- Removing restrictions/requirements for people with prior drug-related felony convictions to access SNAP benefits
Source:
Protect SNAP recipients from skimming
- Collect data on incidents of SNAP benefits skimming and reimburse stolen benefits to recipients who have fallen victim to skimming, with a proof process that is not too burdensome
Sources:
Bloomberg: Scammers Rip Off SNAP Benefits, Keeping Americans Hungry
CLASP: Congress and states must do more to address EBT skimming
Increasing WIC Enrollment Through Targeted Outreach
- Leveraging data from Medicaid and SNAP to measure enrollment gaps
- Increasing enrollment using tools to plan, launch, and/or strengthen data matching and targeted outreach to eligible families who are not receiving WIC benefits
Source:
CBPP Toolkit: Increasing WIC Coverage Through Cross-Program Data Matching and Targeted Outreach
Removing Child Support Cooperation Requirements
- Removing cooperation with child support from requirements for food (and child care) assistance eligibility
Example:
Source:
Increasing SNAP Flexibility During a Health Pandemic or Other Emergencies
- Providing emergency benefits supplements
- Providing benefits for children missing school meals
- Easing program administrative burdens.
States were allowed a host of SNAP flexibilities during the pandemic and could choose to access any of these flexibilities that the federal government elects to continue.
Source:
CBPP: States Are Using Much-Needed Temporary Flexibility in SNAP to Respond to COVID-19 Challenges
