Inflation Hurting Hungry Hoosiers
Published: Friday, March 4, 2022
The Indiana Senate passed HB 1001 with a devastating provision ending the SNAP Emergency Allotments (EA) on April 16 the end of the current federal public health emergency. With this deadline, low-income Hoosiers will miss out on $200 million in federal benefits to afford healthier food options for their families, purchased at more than 5,000 Indiana retailers.
"Now is not the time to roll back this important program to help Hoosier families access food. Hoosiers are still being squeezed from all sides," said Emily Weikert Bryant, executive director of Feeding Indiana's Hungry. "Inflation, particularly in food, gas, rent, plus utilities and other costs are greatly impacting Hoosiers and our food banks."
SNAP is a critical part of this nation's anti-hunger infrastructure. For every one meal distributed by a Feeding America affiliate food bank, SNAP provides nine. These federal benefits are used at more than 5,000 Indiana retailers for the purchase of unprepared food items. SNAP generates business for retailers of all types and sizes, and the vast majority of SNAP retailers are small businesses.
"SNAP emergency allotments, coupled with other recovery efforts, kept our most vulnerable families from the brink of financial disaster," said Jessica Fraser, director of the Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute. "Recovery efforts are winding down but families who were struggling before the pandemic remain financially vulnerable. Cutting off support too soon will only make matters worse."
SNAP continues to serve nearly 10 percent of all Hoosiers, helping many families earning low incomes to put enough food on their tables. There is still time to change course on this policy. If HB 1001 goes to conference committee lawmakers can ensure Hoosiers have whatever federal support is available, for as long as it is available.
"Our organizations stand together and ask for the Indiana General Assembly to help Hoosiers at risk of hunger in conference committee," Bryant and Fraser said
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