A new federal rule could make it difficult for thousands of Pennsylvanians to afford enough food.
That warning from the Wolf Administration refers to a change in SNAP benefits–a program that used to be called food stamps.
Under current SNAP regulations, able-bodied adults 18 to 49 without children, can only receive three months of benefits over three years, unless they work 20 hours a week. States can waive the work requirement, in areas with high unemployment, but a federal rule taking effect in April, limits their ability to do that.
The Altoona Food Bank helps 200 to 300 families a month. Clients receive a fairly set amount of items. For example, for a family of three, the basics will include four cans of soup, a couple of cans of baked beans, five servings of vegetables, milk , margarine, eggs, and meat.
Food Bank Treasurer Linda Noonan said, “It’s considered an emergency supply of food, so we give them enough for three days to a week, so they still have another 3 weeks to figure out how to put food on the table,”
She said that a good many of their clients are on food stamps, which is considered part of their income and added that it’s important to remember that 15 percent of Blair County residents are at or below the poverty level.
“If they’re getting for example, $50 a month in food stamps, if you take away $10, that’s a major impact for those people,” Noonan said.
She believes that a reduction in food stamp benefits will mean an increase in the number of people turning to the Altoona Food Bank.
The Wolf Administration estimates that 78,000 Pennsylvanians could be affected by the change in the SNAP rules.