Legislation to help students working maintain Massachusetts SNAP benefits

By Duncan Maclean

Senator Markey and Representative Lori Trahan have introduced a bill called the “Bridging the SNAP Gap Act” which would change how young adults’ income is counted in their household totals to make sure they are fed and families get their full benefits all while not discouraging students from working.

According to the bill’s sponsors, 30 percent of all college students in America are food insecure. Under the current SNAP framework, 17-year-old students are eligible to receive SNAP benefits if they are working, their income is not counted toward the household total to make sure the family still qualifies for nutrition assistance.

But for students 18 to 21 income is counted as part of the household pushing many families over eligibility requirements. This bill would extend the income exclusion all the way to 21 years old to make sure young people can work without jeopardizing their family’s food supply.

The other major reform included in this beat deals with medical deductions.

“Nearly one-in-three college students are food insecure. Families across the country are seeing Congress cut their benefits as their medical costs rise. The Bridging the SNAP Gap Act will reverse this trend and help ensure that no student or family falls through the cracks,” said Senator Markey. “Families should be able to put food on the table – this shouldn’t be controversial.”

“For decades, working families have relied on SNAP to help make ends meet and get food on the table. I’m proud to be working with Senator Markey to introduce the Bridging the SNAP Gap Act to strengthen the vital nutritional support that SNAP provides,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “The reauthorization of the Farm Bill provides an excellent opportunity to modernize SNAP and ensure the program works better for students, families, and those with chronic health conditions.”

“America is the wealthiest and most agriculturally abundant nation in world history. Yet, according to USDA, 34 million Americans live in homes that can’t afford enough food, and, even among households that do receive SNAP benefits, 23 percent are still food insecure because SNAP benefits are so meager. That’s why the Bridging the SNAP Gap Act – which would increase and extend SNAP allotments for some of the most vulnerable Americans – is so vital. We thank Senator Markey for his leadership on this issue,” said Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America.

“SNAP has provided helpful – and sometimes crucial – assistance to students and those facing medical issues. This legislation provides a commonsense update to SNAP that simply aligns with peoples’ and families’ current situations,” said Eric Mitchell, Executive Director of Alliance to End Hunger.

“As one of the organizations leading on increasing SNAP awareness and enrollment, we know that for too many individuals, the SNAP application process can be onerous, even prohibitive, and can lead to lower levels of enrollment,” said Erin McAleer, President and CEO of Project Bread. “Through our FoodSource Hotline, accepting calls from MA residents statewide, we’ve heard from a caller whose family was over the SNAP household income limit by $11, but they couldn’t afford to work more hours and still balance child care. We have talked to a caller paying for medical care for himself and his aging father in hospice, unable to cover all the bills. We talk to people facing food insecurity every day, and we know that this bill needs to be passed to help more families access the critical nutrition they need.”

“Thousands of low-income households across Massachusetts and the nation struggle daily with paying for food, medicine and other basic living expenses. Bridging the SNAP Gap Act addresses two key barriers in the SNAP program that have long harmed both low-wage working families and young adults. All SNAP households should be allowed to claim out-of-pocket healthcare costs as a deduction, and the part-time jobs of high school students should not cut a family’s SNAP benefits,” said Patricia Baker, Senior Benefits Policy Advocate at Massachusetts Law Reform Institute.