Proposed Changes To Food Stamp Program Could Have Effect In Arizona

By Mark Brodie
Published: Friday, October 11, 2019 - 12:48pm
Updated: Friday, October 11, 2019 - 3:48pm

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Sky Schaudt/KJZZ
A sign at a Phoenix convenience story that accepts SNAP benefits.

A proposed change to the country’s food stamp program could impact 11% of the Arizona households that use it.

That’s according to a new analysis from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the policy research firm Mathematica.

Right now, some states, including Arizona, use what’s called “broad-based categorical eligibility,” which means people who qualify for welfare under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) are automatically enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), But the U.S. Agriculture Department is proposing to limit eligibility for that program.

To provide an analysis on which states would be most affected, The Show spoke with Sarah Lauffer, senior research programmer at Mathematica.

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