This Friday, November 1st, all 47 million people who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) in order to put food on the table will see an automatic cut in their benefits. The overall cut will be $5 billion but individual families could see a monthly reduction of up to $36.

Why is this happening?

The SNAP cliff (we are calling it this because this is exactly how this reduction will feel to low-income families) is occurring because a boost to SNAP in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 is coming to an abrupt end. Without immediate Congressional action, federal law requires a decrease in monthly benefits for all recipients. This reduction takes effect starting November 1st. Unfortunately, there was no requirement to notify families of this reduction, so many people will need to scramble to figure out how to feed their families on even less.

How much will my family lose in SNAP?

The decrease in benefits really depends on household size. So for example, a family of four could lose an estimated $36/month. Our partners at the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) have a full chart estimating how much SNAP recipients should expect to lose.

Is there any way I can increase my SNAP benefits?

FRAC has a number of ways parents can increase their benefits, including deducting child care and medical expenses and signing up for WIC and free school meals and afterschool snacks. For more information check out this one-pager from FRAC.

I still don’t totally understand what is going on or why this is happening?

There are a lot of great resources out there where you can find out more information. Check out this very cool interactive website called Hunger Cliff and this video put out by DC Hunger Solutions. [Note: some of the phone numbers and websites in this video are DC-specific. But there are very similar resources in all states that can usually be found with a simple Google search].

Where else can I go to find food for my family?

Resources vary from state to state but there is a lot of help out there for your family if you are struggling to afford food. United Way runs this website where you just plug in your zipcode or city and it connects you with agencies that can help you. Feeding America can also help you find a food bank in your area.

Is your family being affected by the SNAP cliff? Do you have thoughts about what Congress should do to fix this problem? We would love to hear from you! Your voice and experiences are vital in helping us share real world stories with our country’s leaders. Share your thoughts here.