Donald Trump has been at war with people of color, Muslims, women, immigrants, and just about everyone who’s not a white male. Now his administration sets their sights on another enemy: Poor people. According to reports, Trump and his crew are rolling out a new plan that would cut food assistance programs for over 3 million people in the country.
The plan is to tighten the eligibility rules for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP). They’re expected to roll out its plan Tuesday (July 22).
“Some states are taking advantage of loopholes that allow people to receive the SNAP benefits who would otherwise not qualify and for which they are not entitled,” says Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.
Food stamp advocates point out, however, the asset threshold is still very low and the current system allows for states to make allowances for expenses such as childcare. “To be eligible for SNAP, a household’s gross income must be below 130 percent of the federal poverty line. In 2019, that works out to $32,640 a year for a family of four,” the Washington Post reports. “Currently, households remain eligible with up to $2,250 in countable assets (such as cash or money in a bank account) or $3,500 in countable assets if at least one member of the household is age 60 or older, or is disabled. These amounts are updated annually.”
