2009: The Food Stamp Expansion Bill
- New bill from D.C. City Council aims to boost food stamp benefits and expand eligibility for the program.
- Bill utilizes two options, categorical eligibility and "heat and eat," that are available to states under the federal Food Stamp Program.
- Council expects bill to move quickly, benefiting tens of thousands of D.C. residents and generating millions of dollars in the local economy.
In the midst of challenging times, the Food Stamp Expansion Bill (pdf) is a bright spot for D.C. residents. D.C. Hunger Solutions joined Councilmember Michael A. Brown at a press conference on Tuesday to unveil the bill, which aims to boost food stamp benefits, expand eligibility for the program, and stimulate the local economy.
The bill, sponsored by all the members of the D.C. City Council and supported by the Income Maintenance Administration and Department of the Environment, utilizes two options that are available to states in the federal Food Stamp Program (now known as SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). The two options are:
- Categorical eligibility (cat-el)
Download the policy option memo Categorical Eligibility - Reaching More Struggling Families in the Nation’s Capital with Food Stamps (pdf)
Currently, a household earning more than 130 percent of the federal poverty level ($22,884 for a family of three) is not eligible for food stamps. By adopting this categorical eligibility policy, the District will raise the income level to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. It also removes the cap on assets, which means that people who lose their jobs in this unstable economy do not have to spend down all their savings before they are considered eligible for food stamps. As a result, families struggling with low wages and high housing and child care costs will be able to benefit from the food stamp program. - Heat and eat
Download the policy option memo Heat and Eat - Maximizing Food Stamp Benefits for Families Struggling with High Food and Fuel Costs (pdf)
Under this initiative, the Department of Energy gives targeted food stamp households a small energy assistance benefit. This energy assistance benefit triggers a higher food stamp benefit. States that have adopted similar policies saw the monthly food stamp benefit increase by an average of $30 to $60 a month, bringing in millions of federal dollars to stimulate the local economy.
These changes will benefit D.C. residents like Aluveller "Velle" Perkins, who spoke at the press conference. Perkins is a working mother of four children, who earned just a few dollars over the income level and, as a result, could not qualify for food stamps. "It was either pay for books and students fees or buy food for my four boys, so I chose to discontinue my education and do my best to feed my children," said Perkins. "But, this new policy will help more people like me who have high housing and child care costs to get food stamps."
The changes will also benefit the local economy. Each dollar of food stamp benefits generates $1.73 in local economic activity. In fact, economists from across the political spectrum agree that, dollar-for-dollar, food stamps are one of the best forms of economic stimulus.
Contact Alexandra Ashbrook or Srinidhi Vijaykumar if you have questions.
