Food stamp cuts to hit around 18% of Mainers
Maine residents will see food stamp benefits reduced by up to $36 a month for a family of four with the end of federal stimulus funds coming in November.
The Portland Press Herald reported that nearly 18% of Mainers, or around 253,000 people, received benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program last year, the fourth-highest percentage in the country. For a family of four, the progressive Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimated the cut equates to a reduction of around 21 individual meals per month.
Kristen Miale, president of Good Shepherd Food Bank, told the paper that further cuts to the program being debated in Washington stand to place more demand on the state’s food pantries, which she said serve as the “safety net underneath the safety net.”
Gov. Paul LePage argued Tuesday that the cuts show that Maine could not rely on the federal government to pay for a Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. SNAP is fully supported by the federal government, while the proposed expansion of Medicaid would be fully funded for just three years.
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