DANIEL ESTRIN, HOST:
More than 40 million Americans get government help to buy food through SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The Trump administration has started letting states block people from using SNAP to buy candy, sugary drinks and other foods they deem non-nutritious. People won’t get kicked off the program, also known as food stamps, for buying them. They just can’t use SNAP dollars for some of those sugary foods. We’re joined now by South Carolina Public Radio’s Maayan Schechter in Columbia. Hi, Maayan.
MAAYAN SCHECHTER, BYLINE: Hello.
ESTRIN: So first of all, what is driving this change?
SCHECHTER: Well, the program has really fallen under scrutiny from the White House and congressional Republicans down to the state level, whether it’s been about fraud or getting people off the program or getting people healthier. The federal government spends about $100 billion on the program each year. And since President Trump named Robert F. Kennedy Jr. his Health and Human Services secretary, the administration, through the so-called Make America Healthy Again effort, has pushed for healthier diets for Americans. South Carolina, where I am, the Republican governor, Henry McMaster, has echoed those sentiments.
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HENRY MCMASTER: This idea is to assure that your tax money goes to nutritious food for those who qualify.
SCHECHTER: Five states started New Year’s Day – Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah and West Virginia. Then, 13 more states have approval for later in the year, and they have different lists of foods that are banned. Here in South Carolina, the target date is August 31. So that allows time to get the word out of how the new rules will work.
ESTRIN: And just remind us who’s on the program.
SCHECHTER: Yeah. So it’s about 1 in 8 Americans, and they get about an average of just under $200 per month. Here in South Carolina, most recipients are either children, seniors and people with disabilities.
ESTRIN: And you mentioned this is part of the Trump administration’s push to reshape benefits. What are others saying about this?
SCHECHTER: Groups here, like the South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center and some Democrats, have said these restrictions feed into a stigma that SNAP recipients already face or that it’s yet another attack on people who just need help during tough times. There’s also a real question about confusion that this could create for recipients and grocers. That’s an issue I spoke about with South Carolina’s former Social Services director, Mike Leach. He now works for a national child welfare nonprofit called Think of Us. He says the intent behind this may be positive.
MIKE LEACH: But the restrictions alone don’t address the broader issues like food access, income instability or housing costs. And so there’s also a real risk that participation drops not because people are ineligible, but because the rules become harder to follow.
SCHECHTER: And the Food Research & Action Center, which advocates for nutrition programs and education and opposes these new rules – they say that under Iowa’s plan, where it’s based on how foods are taxed, for example, you could buy cakes and cookies, but not a honey granola bar.
ESTRIN: And groups that support these programs have been worried about even further cuts down the pipeline, right?
SCHECHTER: Yes, especially after the recent government shutdown when SNAP benefits stopped. We saw in some states a rush to food pantries, including in South Carolina, which also set up a fund to help people during that time. But there’s also concern about the cuts that are part of Trump’s tax and spending bill. There’s also new work requirements that Leach told me could be potentially more devastating that could wind up kicking people off the program who really need it. Again, Trump and his allies say these are efforts that’ll reduce fraud and save money. On all these changes, we will see how they shake out.
ESTRIN: That’s Maayan Schechter of South Carolina Public Radio. Thanks so much for your reporting.
SCHECHTER: You’re welcome.
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