SNAP funding for Minnesotans: How is the state involved?
DCYF Commissioner Tikki Brown shares concerns over SNAP lapse
FOX 9's Amy Hockert spoke this week with Tikki Brown, the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families, which is directly impacted by the halting of SNAP benefits due to the federal government shutdown.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans receive SNAP benefits. The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) commissioner explains how the SNAP lapse is affecting Minnesotans, and what the state is doing to help those affected.
How does SNAP funding work in Minnesota?
By the numbers:
DCYF Commissioner Tikki Brown says 440,000 Minnesotans receive SNAP benefits, which is about one in 12 Minnesotans.
Minnesota gets $73 million in federal funding for SNAP benefits, which is a portion of the about $40 billion that goes into the program nationwide.
Breaking those numbers down, an individual in Minnesota receiving SNAP benefits would receive about $6 a day, and a pair, like a mother and child, would receive $12 a day.
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Can the state fund SNAP?
What they're saying:
Brown says that $73 million is too large of a gap to fill for the state as SNAP benefits end Saturday.
"Congress has the authority and ability for setting the rules and funding source for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It is $73 million a month, which is an incredibly large number," Brown told FOX 9. "So, by pushing it to the states, it really puts a strain on our own state resources."
Brown goes on to say that by receiving federal funding for SNAP, taxes are paid. Which, in turn, helps fund the federal government. Therefore, states can receive SNAP benefits. Brown states that SNAP benefits also help the Minnesota economy since recipients use their benefits at local grocery stores.
Minnesota does have an emergency food shelf system, but Brown says it is already stretched thin. DCYF has diverted $4 million to that food system, but she says it's not enough.
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State resources for those losing SNAP benefits
What you can do:
DCYF has multiple resources on its website to help those who have lost SNAP benefits.
The website includes a statewide map of food resources that's run through the Minnesota Food Group, which includes food shelves and meal preparation places.
For more information on this, visit DCYF's website by clicking here.