On July 23, the Trump Administration proposed a change to SNAP that could take food away from 3.1 million Americans and over 13,000 Vermonters. Please submit a public comment opposing this change to 3SquaresVT (SNAP) by September 23rd. Help fight this cruel and unnecessary change to crucial benefits by joining the VAHC in publicly opposing the change.
The proposed change would eliminate ‘broad-based categorical eligibility,’ which allows the state to expand access to 3SquaresVT for vulnerable low-income Vermonters (including working families, children, older adults, and people with disabilities). These families also rely on 3SquaresVT for eligibility in other support programs. For example, over 4,600 students will no longer be automatically provided free or reduced lunch. This can cost families an additional $90/month. Fuel assistance eligibility can also depend on 3SquaresVT, meaning some families will end up paying more for heating next winter.
Although not directly related to housing, this change will severely impact the populations served by our member organizations. Families will become even more cost-burdened without the food security provided by SNAP benefits. Even affordable housing can be out of reach for families without this critical assistance.
In addition, this disastrous policy would sidestep Congress, which rejected such harmful proposals when it enacted the 2018 Farm Bill.
For more information about the importance of categorical eligibility nationwide, visit: The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. For more specific information about Vermont – and a template for your comments – visit: Hunger Free VT.
Your comments need not be lengthy or involved. This is a situation where quantity matters. Regulators are required to read and respond to all comments received. Another disastrous administration proposal last winter received hundreds of thousands of comments, which delayed implementation until this summer.
Our thanks to our Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Representative Terri Sewell (D-AL) and more than 130 other Members of Congress for signing a joint letter in opposition to the proposed SNAP cut.
Together, we must stand up for our neighbors by defending a long standing state option to put food on the tables of vulnerable Vermonters. The deadline to submit comments is Monday, September 23rd.
Thank You!