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New York Food Retailers And Health Advocates To Call For Increase in SNAP

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Food retailers and health advocates in New York are requesting to increase the SNAP benefits and make food accessible to people.

January 31, 2024
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Health advocates along with the major upstate New York food retailers such as Prince Chopper and Tops Friendly Market are requesting an increase in the SNAP program and have sent letters to Governor Kathy Hochul to combat food insecurity in the state.

The data released by the Department of Health reveals that 1 in four adults is experiencing food insecurity. Besides this, the USDA revealed that one in five children is also experiencing food insecurity in the United States.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides benefits via a card similar to a debit card for food purchases. In New York, a non-elderly, non-disabled individual with earned income qualifies for SNAP if their monthly income is below $1,823, or less than $21,876 annually. The maximum SNAP benefit for a single individual in New York is $291 per month, which amounts to about $9.70 per day.

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The New York State Association for Rural Health and the food retailers extended their support to the legislation that would guarantee $100 in SNAP Benefits.

SNAP benefits were temporarily expanded due to the COVID-19 pandemic and have now expired. With the expiry of these SNAP benefits, there is an average loss of $151 per month with some New Yorkers going down to SNAP Benefit of $23 per month.

The association and food retailers say that this expansion will affirm food security as a basic human right in the letters and the program will stimulate local economies while reducing poverty.

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The content provided in this article draws inspiration and includes quotes from various reputable sources, including news articles, government data, and interviews. Affordable Housing 411 strives to ensure accuracy and credibility, but the information presented may be based on some external sources. We encourage readers to refer to the referenced materials for more in-depth insights and verification.

Williams Tim. “Major Upstate New York Food Retailers, Health Advocates Call for SNAP Increase”. Spectrum Local News, January 31, 2024,
Upstate New York food retailers call for SNAP increase (spectrumlocalnews.com)

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Last Updated: September 20, 2021