This archive report was first published on 20 July 2020.
Published on July 20, 2020, a New York Times analysis revealed that despite the economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people relying on food stamps, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), has not significantly increased.
However, the program's caseloads have been growing steadily since the last recession, with a temporary increase in the maximum benefit helping to restrain the rise in hunger. But a weak recovery followed, and caseloads continued to grow for years.
Some conservatives have argued that SNAP discourages work, and President Trump has spent years trying to cut eligibility and expand work rules. In February, he called the ebbing rolls a hallmark of his success, citing a decline from 48 million in 2012 to 37 million before the pandemic.
Despite this, the number of people relying on SNAP has now slightly increased, with the program's rolls higher than when Mr. Trump took office. To speed enrollment, the Trump administration allowed states to suspend reviews of existing cases and focus on new applications, as well as enroll people without interviews.
However, federal officials have now let both forms of latitude lapse, which some states fear will cause delays, especially with expiring unemployment aid likely to increase SNAP usage.
“I’m worried about our ability to process the applications,” said Duke Storen, who runs Virginia’s program.
