Millions of parents and young kids could be denied food aid next year without funding boost, report warns

A report released Tuesday by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities warns that millions of parents and young kids could be denied food assistance next year if Congress does not provide additional funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). According to the report, up to 1 million households, mostly made up of families and seniors living on fixed incomes, could lose benefits without additional funding, while an estimated 800,000 to 1.2 million children could lose vital nutrition assistance. SNAP is the primary source of nutrition assistance in the United States, and more than 40 million people rely on it for help purchasing food. The report notes that existing funding is simply not enough to cover the growing number of people relying on SNAP assistance and that an additional $1 billion in funding is needed to ensure that all eligible families receive the nutrition they need.