More than 400,00 Minnesotans rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to feed themselves and their families. It is a critical part of the safety net, reaching every corner of the state and across every age group, from infants to seniors.
But as vital as this program is, its benefits have remained downright meager. According to state data, the average monthly benefit is $110 per household member, about $1.22 per meal. When was the last time you tried to cobble together a meal for $1.22? Food shelves can supplement, but there are limits to what they can provide.
More than two-thirds of families with children have a working parent whose wages are too low to afford basic necessities without government supplements. These include many employed in health care, retail stores, hotels and restaurants. Often the challenge is simply getting enough hours in industries that make heavy use of part-timers to hold down costs.
That is why a move by President Joe Biden to boost SNAP benefits by more than 25% is so welcome and needed. The increase will help families stretch their food dollars just a little farther. The increase starts in October and will go out to the 42 million recipients who depend on this vital program.
The 25% increase — the largest in U.S. history — is an investment in what is widely acknowledged to be the single most effective anti-hunger program in the country. In 2018, SNAP pumped more than $500 million into the Minnesota economy as nutrition assistance.
By expanding the food-buying power of low-income Americans, the program also benefits farmers. But there is another, secondary effect. A recent report by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities found that SNAP generates sales for all retail businesses and especially helps small, local businesses by freeing up household capacity for non-food purchases.
"I'm thrilled by this move on the part of the Biden administration," Minnesota Sen. Erin Murphy, a member of the Senate agriculture committee, told an editorial writer. "This supports families who are struggling. It's a proven winner and couldn't come at a better time."
Murphy noted that even before the pandemic, 1 in 9 Minnesotans — including 1 in 6 children — received food assistance. During a recent visit to Second Harvest Heartland, she said, "we were told that the number of visits skyrocketed during the pandemic," and remains high.
