Welfare changes may leave Ohioans without food benefits

By GRAIG GRAZIOSI

ggraziosi@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Millions of people may lose their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits as a result of changes proposed by President Donald Trump’s administration.

More than 40,000 Mahoning County residents receive SNAP — sometimes called food stamps — each month. Proposed changes by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to the methods used to determine benefit eligibility may see some of those individuals removed from the program.

The change would restrict Broad Based Categorical Eligibility, a streamlining method used by most states that automatically establishes individuals as “eligible” for SNAP benefits if they’ve already received benefits from other programs.

The USDA estimates that removing SNAP recipients who were made eligible through BBCE would result in approximately 3.1 million individuals — 8 percent of all SNAP recipients — losing their benefits.

While the USDA describes the change as a cost saving method that would “ensure SNAP benefits go toward Americans most in need,” the local impact of the changes could damage the local economy and prevent students coming from poor homes from receiving free or reduced priced lunches.

Robert Bush Jr., director of Mahoning County Jobs and Family Services, said SNAP recipients represent a vital part of the economy.

“There are a lot of people who are able to participate in the economy because they don’t have to spend all of their money on food,” Bush said. “If they lose their SNAP benefits and can’t get back on, that could be felt by local businesses.”

Bush said in July, 17,013 children were recipients of SNAP benefits, and that children who receive free lunches are often determined eligible for those lunches through BBCE.

“It’ll directly impact those kids,” Bush said.

This isn’t the first time BBCE has been on the chopping block; conservative-led attempts in 2014 and 2018 to add the elimination of BBCE to those years’ farm bills were ultimately rejected by Congress.

In Ohio, House Bill 608, introduced by state Rep. Scott Wiggam of Wooster, R-1st, would prohibit the use of BBCE by the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services for determining eligibility for other benefits.

An Ohio Legislative Service Commission analysis of the bill concluded that “the changes to asset and income determination, categorical eligibility, and child support payments will likely pose a significant increase in administrative costs to county departments of job and family services.”

A report released by the USDA referred to BBCE as a “nominal benefits loophole” and suggested that in some cases individuals were ruled eligible for benefits under BBCE after simply receiving informational pamphlets explaining other welfare programs.

Lisa Hamler Fugitt, the executive director of Ohio Association of Food Banks, said describing BBCE as a loophole was disingenuous, arguing that it works exactly as it was designed.

“It was introduced in 1996 under the same welfare reform that created TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). BBCE provides states the ability to offer non-cash benefits under TANF as well as child care services,” she said. “It allows the states to streamline and simplify the process. Using that framework, states can tailor the program to their individual needs.”

Prior to incorporating the changes to BBCE, the USDA has called for public input, which can be offered at www.regulations.gov.