New statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) indicate that the use of food stamps has declined every month under the Trump administration.
The number of people using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) dropped to 41,310,785 in June 2017, which is more than 2,000,000 fewer participants than in June 2016 and the lowest participation rate since 2010, when it was 40,302,000.
Since President Trump’s inauguration in January, the number of SNAP participants has dropped steadily every month, the largest drops from January to February (408,956) and March to April (521,295). Here are the numbers for January to June (the most recent available data):
- Jan 2017 – 42,691,363
- Feb 2017 – 42,282,407
- March 2017 – 42,187,255
- April 2017 – 41,665,960
- May 2017 – 41,489,433
- June 2017 – 41,310,785
This trend is not expected to slow down anytime soon; the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects a steady 1-2% decline in participation per year for at least the next ten years. The CBO estimates that by 2027, the number of SNAP participants will be around 32.5 million people.
A variety of factors are contributing to the sharp decline in participation, including states like Georgia and Alabama that have instituted work requirements for welfare recipients. Other states are currently working on more strict requirements for participation in the program.
President Trump has also proposed cuts to SNAP in the 2018 budget proposal, a move the White House says is about boosting the economy rather than pulling the rug out from underneath people.