Second Harvest Food Bank responds to proposed SNAP budget cuts

Embedded in the federal budget reconciliation currently being considered in the U.S. Senate is $300 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.

Nearly 1.5 million North Carolinians rely on SNAP for food security. It currently provides nine meals for every one meal offered by food banks.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina CEO Eric Aft says even a 10% cut to SNAP by the federal government would force his organization to provide nearly 30 million meals more than it’s already offering —a move he calls unsustainable. And he adds it would shift up $700 million in costs to the state and county budgets.

"If the state cannot pick up the full amount that the feds are proposing, which we have to be realistic, the state cannot afford to absorb the kind of funds that we're talking about here, there will be reductions in the benefits in the number of people receiving SNAP," he says.

Aft estimates the proposed bill would result in the loss of food assistance for some 375,000 North Carolinians. Proponents of the cuts to SNAP argue for more stringent work requirements for recipients and point to what they call fraud and abuse.

Aft says some work requirements are already a part of SNAP, and he would be willing to look at additional measures. 

"But we also need to understand that most of SNAP recipients are children and seniors and individuals with disabilities," he says. "You know, it's a smaller portion of what are called able-bodied adults that are part of the program."

And as for accusations of fraud, Aft concedes that criminal elements — not SNAP recipients — have taken advantage of an antiquated program using skimmers to steal money from SNAP. To prevent further abuses, he calls for the modernization of the system to make the program more impactful and efficient.