Brief How Working Families Are Affected by Restricting Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility for SNAP
Elaine Waxman, Nathan Joo
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If the administration’s proposed changes to broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE) in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are implemented, about 1.3 million people in working families would no longer meet SNAP’s income test, and 724,000 people would not pass its asset test. This means a little more than 2 million people in working families would lose access to an average monthly SNAP benefit of $150 per household, reducing total benefits by just under $130 million monthly. Many of these families will experience greater food insecurity and face trade-offs between food and other basic expenses. These trade-offs can be particularly acute in areas with higher costs of living, an issue BBCE has allowed states to address. Further, without BBCE, working families may lose benefits if their earnings increase slightly and may be discouraged from saving for future emergencies and investments.

Research Areas Social safety net
Tags Hunger and food assistance From Safety Net to Solid Ground
Policy Centers Income and Benefits Policy Center
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