Millions of American families will see their Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits cut ahead of the holiday season, as food stamp stimulus spending is set to expire Oct. 31.
The program is currently serving more than 23 million households, or nearly 48 million people, according to the most recent government data through June. The USDA said the average monthly benefit is about $275 per household or about $1.40 per meal.
The reduction depends on the recipients' situation. According to NBC News, a family of four with no other changes will receive $36 less per month, according to the USDA. The reduction translates to a loss of about 21 meals per month for a family of four.
Stacy Dean, vice president for food assistance policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said the reduction is a major lost for low-income families that are already struggling to afford food on their own.
"For those of us who spend $1.70 a day on a latte this doesn't seem like a big change, but it does kind of really highlight that millions of families are living on an extremely modest food budget," she said.
Parke Wilde, associate professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition at Tufts University, said the cuts bring the program's aid levels back in line, before benefits were boosted as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.
"That's neither great nor terrible," Wilde said.
The House of Representatives passed a bill in mid-September that would eliminate about $39 billion from the SNAP budget over 10 years, a five percent reduction to the nation's main feeding program used by more than one in five Americans. The 217-210 vote was a win for conservatives, over objections from the Democrats and a veto threat from President Barack Obama.
"These cuts would affect a broad array of Americans who are struggling to make ends meet, including working families with children, senior citizens, veterans, and adults who are still looking for work," the White House said in a statement on the bill, according to CBS.
