Tens of Thousands of Dallas County Residents at Risk of Losing SNAP Benefits, Policy Experts Say

Tens of thousands of Dallas County residents could lose their eligibility for food stamps if the federal government decides to pass newly proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, food policy experts say.Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson on Wednesday joined a coalition of 70 mayors that sent a letter urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reject proposed revisions to SNAP eligibility rules. The proposed changes, published on the Federal Register last month, would limit automatic SNAP enrollment to households who already receive regular state benefits known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.The USDA estimated it would impact 3.1 million residents nationwide and acknowledged it could impact food security. Most states currently use this policy. In Texas alone, the Center of Budget and Policy Priorities last year estimated 125,000 people would lose their eligibility for food stamps with the proposed revision; that number could be even higher. Austin-based Feeding Texas, a nonprofit network of food banks, estimated it to be around 300,000 people. Johnson said he was "deeply concerned" about the cuts, citing that USDA's own figures showed 17 percent of households in Dallas County experience food insecurity. "SNAP and other nutrition programs are an important part of our educational and health infrastructure and should be treated as such," Johnson said in a statement Thursday. "I hope the administration will hear our concerns and do the right thing."   Continue reading...