Food Stamps

The facing crisis has hit an all-time high in the United States. In September 2013, there was an announcement of $4 billion of budget cuts to the food stamp program. These budget cuts will affect everyone currently on the program and future applicants to the program. In fact, it is estimated that over 3 million people will be cut from the program during 2014. It is estimated that at least 1 million will be cut each consecutive year for the next decade. This is a huge issue in a crisis for not only the government but for those individuals who receive food stamps currently. This has led to the question, are there any possible answers to this crisis?

Reconstruction Solutions

There are several possible answers and reconstruction solutions. Reconstruction solutions refer to the option of reconstructing guidelines and services in an effort to restrict certain individuals from receiving food stamps. These individuals would include illegal immigrants, able-bodied single individuals, felons, and certain homes where a freelance or independent contract income is currently not seen as viable. Reconstruction solutions would mean re-creating the guidelines altogether.

Removal of Illegal Immigrants

Another possible answer, that has been posed by several politicians, is the removal of illegal immigrants from receiving food stamps. It is believed that a vast majority of those families on food stamps at this time are actually illegal immigrants. Though children born in this country from illegal immigrants do qualify for food stamps, it is the families of the holder receiving the benefits. The reconstruction solution combined with the removal of illegal immigrants solution would mean that only the children are eligible for the food stamps which would greatly reduce the amount of food since being given to certain families. For example, a family of three that is currently receiving over $500 a month in food stamps due to the number of family members would only receive a little over $180 in food stamps if they were just awarded to the legal child rather than the entire family consisting of two illegal immigrants and one legal child.

Agriculture Solutions

There are some constituents that believe that there are agricultural solutions to the food stamp crisis. The solutions consist of everything from farmer’s markets to donations and finally back to co-ops where individuals work for their food. These solutions seem barbaric to some progressives and others. The Department of Agriculture, however, has not commented on these particular solutions but has maintained a strong line of wanting to offer food stamps to those who are in desperate need.

There are several problems with the current food stamp situation. There are accountability problems, responsibility problems, benefit awards problems and problems with the amount of food stamps not being enough to help those who were truly in need. All of these aspects of the food stamp crisis and need to be discussed in order to create resolutions to the crisis that will be long-lasting and will benefit those who are in need of the service.