A proposal by the Trump administration that calls for replacing some food assistance to the poor with meal deliveries is raising questions among some social service agencies.
On Monday, the Trump administration proposed cutting food stamps, formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, by $17 billion in 2019 and more than $213 billion over the next decade.
In an effort to cut costs, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney announced “America’s Harvest Box” for SNAP recipients.
Instead of receiving assistance in the form of an electronic benefit card (EBT), recipients receiving more than $90 in monthly aid would get about half that amount in the form of government-provided, nonperishable food items.
That idea isn’t sitting well with advocates for the poor.
“These cuts would leave vulnerable families here in Wayne County and Metro Detroit who are working hard to achieve economic mobility without the critical assistance they need to not fall further into poverty,” said Louis D. Piszker, CEO of the Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency.
In Michigan, SNAP helped feed 1.3 million people as of December.
