Spending on federal food stamps in the US peaked in 2023 and was more than twice what it was before the outbreak.
Food Coupon
Now that its five-year budgetary cycle is coming to a close, the Federal Food Stamps program is scheduled to be reauthorized.
The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, or “Farm Bill,” is the legislation that grants federal food stamps. It was anticipated that the Farm Bill would cost $428 billion in total from 2019 to 2023.
Due to numerous COVID-19 extra payments, the monthly cost of the federal food stamp program increased from $4.5 billion in February 2020, before the pandemic, to a high of $11 billion in December 2022.
The additional COVID payments were halted in March 2023, and by May 2023, the monthly cost had decreased to $7.5 billion.
Before the pandemic, in February 2020, federal food stamps cost $121.13 per person per month.
In November 2022, 42.1 million people were receiving federal food stamps aid, and per-person spending had reached a peak of $259.52.
According to the most recent figures for May 2023, with 42 million individuals on federal food stamps, monthly prices per person have decreased to $177.54.
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A federal government program called Federal Food Stamps assists low- and no-income people in buying food to support their ability to maintain a healthy diet.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities calculated that when job requirements that were suspended during the epidemic resumed in October 2023, between 500,000 and 1 million adults might have their Federal Food Stamps benefit discontinued.
The work-reporting requirements for adults between the ages of 18 and 49 who are not disabled or raising children limit payments for federal food stamps to three months throughout 36 months.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities states that they must declare any work or training activities that take up at least 20 hours per week.
The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which raised the federal debt ceiling, also had provisions that raised the age restriction for the job requirement to qualify for federal food stamps benefits from 18 to 54. The age at which a person must meet the labor requirements rises to 50 as of September 1. It subsequently rises to 52 on October 1 and finally to 54 on October 1, 2024.
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