food stamps

Three million people would lose Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits under a proposed rule change by the Trump administration.

National

Comment Period Ends For Proposal That Would Cut SNAP Benefits For Millions

5:00am November 01, 2019

by Pam Fessler

The Trump administration says it wants to close a "loophole" that allows states to give benefits to those who would not otherwise be eligible by raising or eliminating income and asset limits.

Colorado estimates that about 15% of the 12 million letters it sends to beneficiaries of public assistance programs each year are returned unopened, left to pile up in county offices like this one in Colorado Springs. That amounts to about 1.8 million pie

Return To Sender? Just One Missed Letter Can Be Enough To End Medicaid Benefits

5:00am November 01, 2019

by Markian Hawryluk

Colorado, like a number of states, is struggling with huge piles of returned mail linked to public aid programs such as Medicaid or food stamps. But is dropping people from such assistance the answer?

Multiple groups are trying to delay — and ultimately block — the Trump administration's public charge rule. The new rule makes it more difficult for immigrants to get green cards if it seems they might need public assistance.

Advocates Try To Help Migrants Navigate Trump's Public Charge Rule

5:00am October 11, 2019

by Pam Fessler

Advocacy groups are trying to help immigrants navigate the Trump administration's rule change that says legal immigrants will be less likely to be able to stay in the U.S. if they use public benefits.

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Walmart and Amazon began offering online purchases with food stamps in April as part of the USDA's pilot program. Now, both companies are expanding services for low-income shoppers.

Economy

Using Food Stamps For Online Grocery Shopping Is Getting Easier

5:03pm June 26, 2019

by Amy Scott

Walmart is expanding a program for food stamp recipients to buy groceries online and pick them up in stores. It's the latest move to give them more options in the era of online shopping.

A sign in the window of a New York City market advertises the acceptance of food stamps.

How A Fight Over Beef Jerky Reveals Tensions Over SNAP In The Trump Era

7:08pm June 04, 2019

by Allison Aubrey

Retailers that accept SNAP benefits must stock a variety of staple foods, including a minimum number of fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy and grain options. Now there's a fight over what counts.

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A sign announces the acceptance of electronic benefit transfer cards at a farmers market in California. Anti-poverty groups fear that many low-income people might be pushed off programs such as food stamps under a possible change to how the government mea

Trump Administration Considering Changes That Would Redefine The Poverty Line

9:36pm May 09, 2019

by Pam Fessler

The possible change involves a different inflation measure to adjust the poverty threshold annually. Anti-poverty groups worry that many low-income people would be pushed off assistance programs.

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A migrant worker in a Connecticut apple orchard gets a medical checkup in 2017. A proposed rule by the Trump administration that would prohibit some immigrants who get Medicaid from working legally has already led to a lot of fear and reluctance to sign u

Clinics Struggle To Resolve Fears Over Medicaid Sign-Ups And Green Cards

5:00am January 15, 2019

by Ana B. Ibarra

Should doctors warn patients of a policy threat that may not come to pass? That's the question pending, as the Trump administration weighs whether to deny green cards to immigrants on Medicaid.

A box of trash overflows near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., this week as some government services have been stopped during a partial government shutdown.

Fallout Grows As Partial Government Shutdown Drags On Into New Year

11:45am December 29, 2018

by Scott Horsley

There's no end in sight for the spending standoff that has forced the shutdown of about a quarter of the federal government. The longer the shutdown continues, the more services will be affected.

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After being stalled in negotiations for months, mostly around disputes over SNAP, the farm bill the conference report has been released.

Farm Bill Compromise Reached With SNAP Changes Out, Industrial Hemp In

4:16pm December 11, 2018

While much of the farm bill draft mirrors current law, there is a major change coming for farmers: Industrial hemp will be legalized. Forestry and food stamps became sticking points.

Food assistance recipients spend about 10 percent of their food budget on sugary drinks, while the rest of the population spends about 7 percent.

Food Stamps For Soda: Time To End Billion-Dollar Subsidy For Sugary Drinks?

4:25pm October 29, 2018

by Allison Aubrey

SNAP provides nutrition assistance for about 42 million Americans, but critics say now is the time to restructure the $70 billion annual program in a way that promotes healthier food choices.