To Spite the Face

In line with the same thinking that seeks to cut SNAP, Congress failed to extend unemployment benefits to 1.3 million people experiencing long-term unemployment.  While some politicians claim the benefits are a disservice, those kinds of cuts end up hurting the economy as a whole. By next December, nearly 5 million people may be denied benefits.

Update (February 27, 2016):  On April 1, twenty-two states will reimpose rules that limit SNAP benefits for adults with no dependents or disabilities unless they meet work or education requirements.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that 500,000 to one million people will lose access to food stamps this year, citing the experience in states where work requirements already returned.