As Arizona anti-hunger and anti-poverty organizations, we know that poverty and hunger are inextricably linked. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF, or cash assistance) are both critical anti-poverty programs. We urge our Members of Congress to do everything in their power to protect both SNAP and TANF from any cuts in debt ceiling negotiations.
Across Arizona, SNAP helps nearly 450,000 households put food on the table each month. TANF helps roughly 2,300 Arizona families with no or extremely low income to afford rent, utilities, and basic living costs. Decades of evidence demonstrates that SNAP and TANF improve health outcomes and reduce food insecurity, poverty, and homelessness, which also improves the community at large.
The debt ceiling bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday will expand the existing and already sufficient SNAP work-reporting rules by raising the age of those subjected to them to 54. This will put benefits at risk for approximately 14,000 older adults in Arizona. Evidence shows that older adults are more likely to face age-related discrimination in the labor market; to no longer be able to perform the types of jobs they did when they were younger; or to have health conditions that may limit their ability to work, the types of jobs they can do, or their ability to consistently work enough hours.
While the bill also adds time-limit exemptions for individuals who are homeless, Veterans, and aging out of foster care, it increases food insecurity for those newly subjected to time limits. Cutting off food for people unless they document sufficient hours of work has proven to be an ineffective way to help them secure employment with livable wages, but it has proven to increase food hardship.
The debt ceiling bill will also restrict states’ TANF flexibilities, which will similarly reduce opportunities for Arizona’s lowest-income families to succeed. Already, only 6 percent of Arizona families experiencing poverty participate in TANF cash assistance. The impact of these restrictions will also have particularly adverse impacts on people of color in Arizona, who are disproportionately living in severe poverty.
We urge our Members of Congress to call out the harm to the programs people with low incomes need to survive.
Arizona Food Bank Network
Arizona Anti-Hunger Alliance
Arizona Basic Needs Coalition
Arizona Center for Economic Progress
Children’s Action Alliance
Wildfire, Igniting Community Action to End Poverty in AZ
William E. Morris Institute for Justice
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Bergh, K., and D. Rosenbaum. Debt Ceiling Agreement’s SNAP Changes Would Increase Hunger and Poverty for Many Older Low-Income People; New Exemptions Would Help Some Others. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. 31 May 2023. www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/debt-ceiling-agreements-snap-changes-would-increase-hunger-and-poverty-for
Arizona Center for Economic Progress. ProPublica Feature Strengthens Case for Improving Cash Assistance in Arizona. 10 Feb. 2022. https://azeconcenter.org/propublica-feature-strengthens-case-for-improving-cash-assistance-in-arizona/
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