According to Washington, the stuff we buy didn’t cost much more last year. As a result, programs such as food stamps, Medicaid and such will see their 2020 income maximums climb just a teeny little bit – about 1.4% on average.
“No one would ever mistake Manhattan, Kansas, for Manhattan in New York City. But that is precisely what the federal government does.
The federal poverty level – the minimum amount a person can supposedly live on – is $12,490 in Kansas. Twelve hundred miles away in New York, the federal poverty level is $12,490.
Does it cost more to live in urban New York than rural Kansas? Yes. Does the federal poverty level reflect that reality? No. Is this some isolated quirk in government statistics? No again.”
Federal Poverty Guidelines: Annual Income
Number in Household 2019 2020 Hourly Wage*
1 $12,490 $12,790 $6.25
2 $16,910 $17,240 $8.29
3 $21,330 $21,720 $10.44
4 $25,750 $26,200 $12.60
5 $30,170 $30,680 $14.75
6 $34,590 $35,160 $16.90
The Hourly Wage column assumes 40 hours of work every week. The current minimum wage in Missouri is $9.45 per hour. The federal minimum wage is still $7.20 an hour.
The entry in the Federal Register [1/17/20] says agencies may begin using the new guidelines as soon as they’re published. Missouri, of course, will not implement the numbers till October 2020. They’ll be in place until September 2021. In other words, eligibility for food stamps in Missouri in September 2021 we’ll be based on the cost of living in 2019.
Coming back from Jefferson City last week I stopped in Linn, Missouri. In that town a standard Hersey Bar was $1.49. Here by my house the cost for that same Hersey bar runs from 80¢ to $1.29.
Think about that the next time someone tells you how much cheaper it is to live in rural areas.
Glenn