Statement from WhyHunger on the Unwarranted SNAP Requirements

Statement from WhyHunger on the Unwarranted SNAP Requirements

New York (December 4, 2019) – Noreen Springstead, executive director of WhyHunger, issued the following statement regarding the tightening of work requirements for SNAP assistance by the Trump administration:

“Today’s announcement to end food stamps benefits for 755,000 Americans is nothing short of cruel. When USDA cites a booming economy and low unemployment as their rationale, or better yet ‘get a job’ ethos, they neglect to pull the covers off the real reasons why people need SNAP in the first place: an American job no longer staves off hunger.

We have a wage problem. Stagnant wages have not kept pace with inflation. The majority of SNAP recipients who can work, do work, however 92% of the households who benefit from SNAP have incomes at or below the poverty line. Low wages mean workers are forced to rely on SNAP and food charity to make ends meet.

Cutting ‘able-bodied’ people off crucial assistance to provide food for themselves exacerbates our country’s hunger problem. Yet again, the government shifts responsibility onto charity from America’s food banks, soup kitchens and food pantries, who are already carrying out this responsibility for 37 million food-insecure Americans.

We need to keep our eye on the ball and focus on jobs that pay well, instead of punishing vulnerable people while lauding profits and gains of corporations, many of whom have workers that rely on food stamps.”

About WhyHunger
Founded in 1975 by the late Harry Chapin and radio DJ Bill Ayres, WhyHunger believes a world without hunger is possible. We provide critical resources to support grassroots movements and fuel community solutions rooted in social, environmental, racial and economic justice. A four-star rated charity by Charity Navigator, WhyHunger is working to end hunger and advance the human right to nutritious food in the U.S. and around the world. Learn more at whyhunger.org and follow us on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

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