Trump Administration Proposal Could Cut 300,000 Texans From Food Stamp Rolls

Lowering the value of assets SNAP recipients can own, including a car, in order to be eligible would likely force many working Texans out of the program.

By Terri LangfordJuly 24, 2019 12:39 pm, ,

A new Trump administration proposal could remove more than 3 million people from the food stamp rolls, including some 300,000 in Texas. The measure focuses on states like Texas that automatically approve food stamps – otherwise known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits – for the state’s poorest single parents and caregivers. 

Rachel Cooper is a senior policy analyst with Texas’ Center for Public Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan think tank often characterized as left-leaning that focuses on issues affecting Texans with low and moderate incomes. She says in order to qualify for food stamps in Texas, a person must be working and have a low income. And if a recipient owns a car, it must be valued under a certain amount in order to stay eligible. If the administration acts on its proposal, the value of SNAP recipients’ assets will have to be even lower in order for them to continue to qualify for the program. 

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– How there’s limits on the value of assets owned by SNAP recipients

–  Why the administration wants to change the rules

– What effect the new rule could have on Texans who receive SNAP benefits

– What SNAP recipients can expect next

 

Written by Shelly Brisbin.