WHO GETS FOOD STAMPS, WHITE PEOPLE, MOSTLY.

WHO GETS FOOD STAMPS, WHITE PEOPLE, MOSTLY.

On the feature article from the Huffington Post, the authors Arthur Delancy and Alissa Scheller start with news of an apology from Gene Alday, who is a member of the Republican party from the state of Mississippi. Alday apologizes for stating to a reporter from the Clarion-Ledger that in his hometown, all African Americans receive food stamps. The article offers statistics from the Department of Agriculture in the US, showing that, contrary to popular belief, the most significant number of people who receive supplementary nutrition aid are whites. The data used is derived from the Department of Agriculture in 2013. However, a study done by USDA shows that in the two districts bordering Alday’s district, more African American families receive the food stamps. In 2013, the number of households that received food stamps dropped from 23 million families, with 47 million Americans to 22 million families, with 46 million persons in 2014. In these families, 75% of them consisted of an older person, a child, or someone living with a disability.

With the aim of attracting more people into the program, Republicans are doing a nutritional assistance review. Delancy and Scheller state that republicans are dismayed by the growing number of able adults who are still on the program who do not have children. An estimated 1 million able people without children will be discontinued from the program in the following year, according to the Policy Priorities and Budget Center. About a third of these beneficiary families have a member earning income. Despite each state having different criteria for eligibility, the federal law maintains the income limit at 200% above the poverty line. Individuals who participate in other programs such as Medicaid and Temporary assistance for needy families qualify for the (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) SNAP program.

General idea.

This article explains how food stamps are distributed and the kind of individuals who receive it. According to data from the department of agriculture, the highest number of people in America who receive food stamps are whites. African Americans come in second, followed by Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, and the rest of the unidentified races. There are cases where some districts register a higher number of African Americans than whites. Percentages are used to compare the number of people who were in the program between 2013 and 2014, providing a clearer image of the changes in the number of recipients during the two years. Households with children, an older person, or a person living with a disability make up the largest number of beneficiaries of this program. Other eligibility criteria are used to identify the beneficiaries. Some of these include whether the household has a member earning an income, and if so, how much. Able adults living without children are not eligible for the program, while those that actively participate in other programs like Medicaid qualify first.

Critical examination

Able adults without children who were previously part of the program were discontinued from the program. The Republican party was dismayed by the growing number of able adults without children who were still part of the program. Data from the budget and policy priorities center shows that about 1 million people will be dropped from the program in order to create more room for those with children, the elderly, and those living with disabilities. As the numbers of these able individuals go up, it makes sense for the program to initiate dropping some of their beneficiaries so as to serve those really in need. Based on the objectives of the program, discontinuing them would serve this objective, as they are no longer in need of assistance. However, it would be unideal to halt the program for these people without providing a way forward for them. This is because there is a risk or receding from a stable lifestyle to a much worse condition. The government can initiate transition programs for these individuals, so as to prepare them for a life of fending for themselves. In this way, the government continues to look out for them while molding them to become productive individuals in society continually.

New things learned.

First, the article states that the highest number of beneficiaries of food stamps are whites. This is not common knowledge, as in many cases, the minorities are usually the target groups for food and nutritional aid. This shows that the government looks out for all its population, regardless of race, or whether they belong in the majority or minority group. Secondly, houses with some level of income also receive food stamps. According to the federal law, any household that earns an income less than the stipulated uppercut limit, are eligible to receive food stamps. Even though this makes up only a third of the total number of beneficiaries, this is a worthy cause as the breadwinners get to focus on developing other important aspects of their lives like health and proper housing. Thirdly, many beneficiaries of SNAP who actively participate in means verified programs like the Temporary Assistance For Needy Families and Medicaid meet qualifications for the SNAP program. This means that those who are participants in these other programs qualify for the SNAP program.

Important Sentences.

One of the important sentences I chose from the article is one that states that three-quarters of the SNAP family beneficiaries have a child, someone living with a disability or an elderly (Delancy & Scheller, 2020). I believe that this sentence is important because it provides a lot of information on who really are the beneficiaries of the SNAP program. It is also important to note that this makes up the largest number of families who receive the food stamp, not based on their region or race, but on the state of the family. My next sentence states the dismay of republicans on the growing numbers of able adult recipients who are still on the program since the Great Recession (Delancy & Scheller, 2020). This is important information because, even though the numbers are increasing, it also means that the program has been successful in its providence to needy families. This shows that these people were once unable to provide themselves. After the program stepped in, they have grown and are now capable of providing for themselves. I believe that this is positive information that shows the success of the program. The third sentence that I chose expresses that individuals who are part of other government aid programs qualify for the SNAP program (Delancy & Scheller, 2020). I chose this sentence because it brings to light the criteria used by the government to reach out to those really in need.

References

Delancy, A., & Scheller, A. (2020). HuffPost is now a part of Verizon Media. Retrieved 28 February 2015, from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/food-stamp-demographics_n_6771938