Vital SNAP benefits face several threats

(The Center Square) – Over 2 million Pennsylvanians receive funds from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Monthly, this brings about 367 million in federal dollars to the state.

In budget hearings before the House Appropriations Committee, legislators sought to better understand who that money benefits, how it’s being used, and how it can be abused.

According to Department of Human Services Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh, the program largely benefits children in low-income families and the elderly, while creating downstream impacts on the local economy, including the state’s farmers. The state has about 10,000 grocers who participate in the SNAP program.

Administration of the program costs the state about $200 million annually, while the money paid out to recipients is entirely supplied by the federal government. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the program cost the federal government about $115 billion in 2023 with 94% of those funds going directly to households.

The cost, along with concerns about occasional systemic abuse, has put the program on the chopping block in recent congressional cuts. The proposed cuts will reduce SNAP funding by $230 billion over the next 10 years, a shift that Arkoosh says would be “catastrophic.”

The average SNAP beneficiary receives between $23 and a few hundred dollars monthly, depending on income and family size. The funds can only be used toward food. For many, the supplement makes the difference between putting food on the table or going hungry.

Additional support from the state’s charitable food network, Arkoosh says, are essential but incapable of taking the place of the federal program.

“There would be no way that we could make up for that funding with our own dollars, nor could the charitable food network,” said Arkoosh. “Today, our charitable food network, which is essential, provides one meal for every nine meals that SNAP provides, so it’s hard to really understate the importance of SNAP”

Many of those programs are currently operating at full capacity. The increased cost of groceries has sent more families to their doors while their own expenses to feed people also continue to rise.

Yet many legislators have concerns about the way the program operates and its potential for abuse. Arkoosh noted that studies have shown the benefits simply aren’t enough to deter people from seeking employment, but other problems still exist.

A case of theft made recent headlines after the Office of the Inspector General concluded an individual had stolen SNAP card data from 17 recipients, using their funds to purchase expensive items like baby formula for resale.

“It is disgusting that these thieves are doing this,” said Arkoosh, who emphasized that this isn’t an issue of fraud. She says that between October 2022 and December 2024, the state approved the replacement of over $8 million in stolen SNAP benefits.

The current continuing resolution from Congress has discontinued replacement of these funds through federal dollars.

“Now when people’s benefits are getting stolen, there’s literally nothing we can do,” said Arkoosh.

As a result, the pressure is on for her department to find ways to detect and prevent theft. In addition to educating users about card safety, they’re looking at moving toward a chip-based system in the future. The transition, however, will come at a cost of about $637 for small businesses who haven’t already switched to these kinds of readers.

Another major concern for legislators who have seen rising numbers of diet and lifestyle-related diseases tear through their constituencies, is supporting a program that allows people to buy food, whether it’s healthy or not.

To that end, the state has opted into federal programs that provide nutrition education to recipients. Arkoosh noted that the newly confirmed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has expressed particular interest in this area, which could prove impactful for programs like SNAP.

Arkoosh also emphasized that the loss of SNAP benefits does not lead to better health outcome for low-income families. She said the cost to Medicaid goes up by $50 per month per person when they lose SNAP. For those with chronic health conditions like hypertension, that number rises to a cost of $150 to Medicaid. For those with diabetes, it hits $200 per month.