Changes to SNAP lead to sharp decline in Arizona enrollment

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has seen a sharp decline in Arizona, losing about a third of its recipients compared with last year, according to the Department of Economic Security (DES). The number of children receiving benefits also dramatically dropped. DES said this large decline is likely due to a change in SNAP eligibility requirements that pushed many Arizonans out of the program.

Now, the burden is falling on local nonprofits such as food pantries and meal assistance programs.

Carrie Aranda, Director of Mission Advancement at Tempe Community Action Agency, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss the effects of these SNAP changes.

“It allows families to have that extra income to purchase groceries,” Aranda said. “It’s now on a debit card; they take it to the grocery store. They can buy what they need at the grocery store.”

Aranda explained the eligibility requirements have changed, as many exemptions have been taken away. She explained there are people who have either lost their benefits or are trying to get their benefits and haven’t been able to.

“Work requirements changed, as well as the age at which you could get an exemption from the work requirements; some of the income requirements changed,” Aranda said. “Everybody’s situation changed a little bit.”

According to Aranda, with the expanded work requirements, additional information must be provided to ensure individuals are following the guidelines. A person needs to either be volunteering or working a certain number of hours.

“They’re part of the change in the federal government,” Aranda said, “that comes out of the new budget that was passed over the summer. Arizona has been one of the quickest to apply them.”

Aranda is one of the individuals who runs a large food pantry in Tempe, providing emergency food boxes to the public. Families and individuals are able to go to the pantry and collect an emergency food box twice a month.

“We’ve actually seen a really big increase since the end of last summer,” Aranda said. “We had a huge increase between the government shutdown, as well as the microburst that hit Tempe, and then the SNAP benefits were delayed for November. We’re still seeing way more people than we did last year at this time.”