Each year, in the middle of January, the federal government issues updated Poverty Level Guidelines. Based on census and other data from the prior year, the guidelines follow a traditional (yet flawed)formula traceable back to the early 1960’s. For example, next month Washington rolls-out the 2019 guidelines based on data accumulated through the third quarter of this year. Federal and state government programs may implement the year’s guidelines as soon as they are published in the Federal Register or posted on the Health and Human Services website.
Missouri, of course, waits till the absolute last allowed day – October 1st of the guideline year – to start using that year’s guidelines, meaning families receiving food stamps and other benefits always have that help based on year-old or older data.
Average Missouri Food Stamp Benefit Per Person
September 2018 October 2018
$119.54 $ 120.24
–Missouri Healthnet Report 2018
That 70¢ a month increase rounds to a gain of 6/10ths of 1% in benefits – at a time when the Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates that inflation pushed up prices 2.52% over the year.
In simple terms, every one of the 713,000+ Missourians on food stamps got cheated out of about $2.65 in additional benefits…almost enough for an extra gallon of milk each month.
How? Well, back in 2017 USDA bureaucrats tweaked the formula for figuring benefits, resulting in a decrease in benefits from September to October:
Average Missouri Food Stamp Benefit Per Person
September 2017 October 2017
$122.18 $ 121.11
–Missouri Healthnet Report 2017
Plus, here in Missouri changes in the Family Support Division system removed any individual accountability to insure that food stamp benefit levels are correct. Instead of case workers, Missouri now utilizes Call Centers and overly relies on antiquated computer programs (remember COBOL?) to manage families.
The result? No one gets blamed when families get less.
(By the way, in October 2010 in Missouri the average food stamp benefit was $125.19 per person .)
Now, outgoing Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R – Wisconsin) long called for cuts, deep cuts, to entitlement programs such as food stamps.
Ryan, who went through high school and college on federal assistance—you’re welcome, dude—once again ran his rap about how food stamps are bad because everybody on federal assistance (except him, of course) is damaged by it. These changes, he said, with practiced duplicity, would: “…close the skills gap, better equip our workforce, and encourage people to move from welfare to work, so more Americans have the opportunity to tap into the economic prosperity we’re seeing right now.” — Charles Pierce for Esquire 6/22/18
By “changes” the Speaker meant benefit cuts and strict work requirements (though, ironically, most able bodied adults on food stamps already work).
While Ryan never got the deep cuts he wanted, his philosophy trickled down to federal and state bureaucrats. Plus, he sent a clear message that being fair with the poor isn’t necessary nor appreciated.
In other words, behind closed doors stealth warfare keeps decreasing the value of help shared with struggling families.
Meanwhile, several pre-filed bills for next session in the Missouri Legislature aim to give families even less help and make them jump through more hoops to get that aid.
After all, why feed a hungry child when you can cut taxes instead?
Glenn