Pennsylvania Capital-Star
More than 1.5 million Pennsylvanians experience hunger. Roughly two out of seven of those people are children, according to Feeding America, a national network of food banks. … But while food banks are a crucial part of Pennsylvania’s anti-hunger efforts, state Department of Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller said food stamps, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, provide about nine meals for every one served by a private organization. “SNAP is the most important anti-hunger program we have,” Miller said. “SNAP is the primary way we help feed a lot of families.” Miller decried proposed regulatory changes to how SNAP operates advanced by the Trump administration. They include curtailing broad-based categorical eligibility, which makes certain families automatically eligible for food stamps if they use a non-cash service — such as childcare — funded by Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. According to Miller’s department, nearly 205,000 adults and children stand to lose SNAP under that rule change. One of the groups that would be hardest hit are working families who have seen their incomes rise but still need extra help, according to the progressive Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The proposed rule change would also end automatic free and reduced-price school lunch eligibility for between 265,000 and half a million children.
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