Guv Launches Food Security Task Force, SNAP Coalition Meeting July 23rd, 3 Month Time Limit

We look forward to seeing you at Tuesday’s Coalition meeting. Information to know and Zoom link below.

Gov. Healey Launches Food Security Taskforce to Migitate Harm to Trump Cuts to SNAP

Yesterday, July 17th, Governor Healey signed an Executive Order creating a Statewide Task Force to Prevent Hunger in Massachusetts. Press release here. The Task Force includes representatives from key state agencies as well as anti-hunger organizations including MLRI, Project Bread, the four MA Food Banks, MA Food Systems Caucus, MassCAP and other key organizations. As the Task Force gets underway, we are hoping that SNAP Coalition members will share with us policy and legislative recommendations that can help mitigate the harm.

We also want to flag yesterday’s Boston Globe story, highlighting how Trump’s federal cuts to health care and SNAP increase the economic divide and punish low wage working families. As Vicky Negus notes:
The bill is the largest handoff of dollars from folks who are struggling to those who are wealthy. And the way that handoff happens is both clear-cut – slashing eligibility for SNAP and Medicaid – and very nefarious, by implementing changes that cut at the knees the ways that states like Massachusetts have tried to make these programs work better.” And check out Spectrum News article of July 10th, highlighting the impact of these cuts on Western MA. As Christina Maxwell notes, “SNAP brings $35 million into western Massachusetts every month. That money of course, goes to families and individuals who need the help to buy groceries, but then it goes to the grocers, it goes to farmers, so there’s a trickle-down effect.”

SNAP Coalition Meeting Tuesday July 22, 10 AM - Agenda

We look forward to being in community together as we move towards action to mitigate cuts to SNAP here in Massachusetts. Please join us on Tuesday from 10-11:30 for our July Coalition meeting. Zoom link here. Our agenda will include:

• Overview of how the OBBBA (the Big Ugly Bill) harms SNAP in Massachusetts with space for community reflections and discussion about how we can mitigate the harm. See MLRI’s in-depth MLRI here),
  • Reminder: No SNAP cuts have gone into effect yet. For clients with concerns, please direct them to DTA’s current alert on Mass.gov/DTA.
• DTA updates, including time limit terminations starting August 1 (see below), access to DTA, SUN Bucks, and more.
• Other issues and announcements.

Reminder we do not typically have a Coalition meeting on the 4th Tuesday in August - we may schedule an “emergency” August Coalition meeting if warranted depending on the timeline the federal government sets for DTA to implement the Big Bad Bill’s cuts.

3-month Time Limit - SNAP Terminations Start August 1, What to Know

Certain individuals who are considered “able bodied without dependents” or “ABAWDs” will start to lose SNAP in August if they received 3 full months of benefits. The SNAP terminations will start August 1 through August 14 (based on the last digit of the SSN of the recipient). We estimate approximately 10,000 MA recipients risk losing their SNAP in August, and more in subsequent months. It is critical that individuals impacted know about and tell DTA if they meet an exemption or meet certain work rules. We need your help to reduce the harm by making sure folks' benefits are not incorrectly terminated.

Please join us on Tuesday at Coalition to discuss further. In the meantime, please use these resources:

• Guide on the SNAP 3-Month Time Limit for Community Organizations - detailed guide that also links to all of MLRI’s and DTA’s resources on the time limit (including fliers for clients)
• SNAP 3-month Time Limit Slide Deck from MLRI training

Possible BEACON Issues re Incorrectly Counting SSI or Social Security Benefits

We recently heard from Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) regarding cases where the SNAP benefits of elders receiving SSI were suddenly reduced to $23/month. GBLS was able to get the SNAP cases resolved and there was no loss of benefits, but we are trying to figure out why these clients received SNAP reduction notices. If you hear from SSI or Social Security recipients that their SNAP benefits suddenly dropped, or that they received a DTA notice of reduced benefits (even if no actual drop), please a) Contact the DTA Ombuds Office and b) Let MLRI know what you learn. We are trying to figure out if these are a “one-off” or systemic problem.