Vermont Business Magazine The Biden Administration and USDA have announced a long-awaited update to the SNAP (known in Vermont as 3SquaresVT) “Thrifty Food Plan.” The updated plan will now more closely reflect the true cost of food. This long-overdue change will result in roughly a 25% increase in 3SquaresVT benefit amounts and will help tens of thousands of our neighbors afford a healthy, nutritious diet for themselves and their families.
The “Thrifty Food Plan,” on which 3SquaresVT benefit amounts have been based, was first introduced in 1975 and has not been updated to reflect a better understanding of nutritious, healthy, culturally appropriate, and varied diets. This cost adjustment represents one of the most significant modernizations of the country’s largest nutrition program in nearly half a century.
“We applaud the largest increase to benefit amounts in SNAP’s history,” said Anore Horton, Executive Director of Hunger Free Vermont. “The pandemic has shown us that we can house and feed everyone when we make the commitment to do so, and this cost adjustment makes permanent much of the emergency SNAP increases we have seen in the past 18 months. At the same time, even with this update, the ‘Thrifty Food Plan’ does not cover the full monthly cost of a healthy diet. We will continue to work with our state and federal partners to expand this critical program’s effectiveness and ensure respect for all who use it, which could be any of us in these uncertain times.”
Nearly 70,000 people in Vermont are enrolled in 3SquaresVT and receive money every month to buy food at participating grocery stores and farmers markets. However, insufficient benefit amounts mean more than 75% of people enrolled in SNAP run out of food before the end of each month and must rely on food shelves to fill the gap. This increase in benefit will help close the gap, but more work is needed. Improving the adequacy of 3SquaresVT benefits is particularly important in addressing disproportionately high rates of food insecurity among Black and Latino households, households with children, and older adults. UVM researchers have shown that over 18% of people in Vermont are still experiencing food insecurity--nearly double the pre-pandemic rate of 10%.
“It is a core responsibility of government to establish conditions where people can meet their basic human needs,” said John Sayles, CEO of the Vermont Foodbank. “Low wages, irregular hours, lack of child care, health conditions, and other factors leave families, children, and older adults without the money to purchase adequate food. SNAP works in getting nourishing food on tables. We look forward to the USDA and Congress continuing to find ways to strengthen our country’s food foundations. No one in this country should go hungry. Ever.”
The increase to the Thrifty Food Plan goes into effect on October 1, 2021. This change comes at a time when many temporary expansions to SNAP authorized by Congress in response to the pandemic are set to expire on September 30. Because 3SquaresVT households are currently receiving the maximum benefit amount for their family size due to the federal pandemic emergency, how this update affects benefit amounts will vary for different families in Vermont.
3SquaresVT is the most effective program in the state to stop hunger and improve nutrition security. Many people qualify but never apply. For information about 3SquaresVT, including how to apply, visit vermontfoodhelp.com, or text VFBSNAP to 85511.
About Hunger Free Vermont
Hunger Free Vermont is a statewide nonprofit organization that works with state agencies and community groups to develop sustainable hunger solutions. Since 1993 Hunger Free Vermont’s outreach programs and advocacy have substantially enhanced Vermont’s nutrition safety net and increased access to nutritious foods. www.hungerfreevt.org
About Vermont Foodbank
The Vermont Foodbank is Vermont’s largest hunger-relief organization, providing nourishing food through a network of 215 food shelves, meal sites, senior centers, and after-school programs, as well as directly to families, children, older adults, and individuals at schools and hospitals. Last year, the Vermont Foodbank provided 19,014,822 million pounds of food to people across every county in Vermont. The Vermont Foodbank, a member of Feeding America, is nationally recognized as one of the most effective and efficient nonprofits and food banks in the nation. Learn more at www.vtfoodbank.org.
Source: VERMONT (August 18, 2021) — Hunger Free Vermont and the Vermont Foodbank