By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Aug 15 (Reuters) – The U.S. Agriculture Division (USDA) on Monday will announce revised vitamin requirements dramatically boosting common meals stamp advantages, the company confirmed on Sunday.
The New York Instances first reported the plan to unveil the most important everlasting advantages enhance within the historical past of the federal government’s main anti-hunger program, saying the change would lead to common advantages rising greater than 25% versus pre-pandemic ranges.
Below the brand new guidelines, common month-to-month advantages, $121 per individual earlier than the pandemic, will rise by $36 beginning in October, the newspaper reported, including that every one 42 million individuals in this system would obtain extra help.
On the similar time, a short lived 15% enhance in advantages as a part of pandemic reduction is ready to run out Sept. 30. The $3.5 billion increase authorized earlier this 12 months supplies about $27 extra per individual, per 30 days, or over $100 extra a month for a family of 4, in extra meals stamp advantages.
The USDA plans a media briefing on Monday to element the modifications, however a spokeswoman for the company, Kate Waters, confirmed the Instances report in an electronic mail.
Below a 2018 legislation, the company has been evaluating its guidelines to estimate the price of a nutritious eating regimen referred to as the Thrifty Meals Plan, which is used to calculate meals stamp advantages, that are formally generally known as Supplemental Diet Help Program (SNAP) advantages.
Final week, Home of Representatives Democrats on the Agriculture Committee’s subcommittee overseeing vitamin points referred to as the re-evaluation “a critically essential step in the direction of guaranteeing that SNAP advantages adequately assist a nutritious eating regimen.”
The Democrats added that “analysis reveals that, whereas SNAP reduces meals insecurity and improves well being outcomes for recipients, advantages are too low to totally meet their dietary wants.”
Final week, the senior congressional Republicans on two agriculture committees requested the Authorities Accountability Workplace to conduct an evaluation of the USDA’s replace of the Thrifty Meals Plan.
The Instances mentioned the brand new plan would increase the $79 billion annual program’s prices by about $20 billion versus pre-pandemic ranges.
The USDA mentioned in 2019 that about 11% of the U.S. inhabitants was coated by this system.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Enhancing by Peter Cooney)
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