$1 in SNAP Spending Generates $1.75 in Economic Growth; Casey Plan Will Benefit Recipients, Boost Broader Economy / At ShopRite, Casey, Hunger Advocates Make Case for Continued Funding / On Top of Coming Cuts, Some in Congress Are Trying to Cut $40B More to Program
Philadelphia PA- As vital SNAP benefits are slated to expire for 1.7 million Pennsylvanians on Friday, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) unveiled legislation to retroactively maintain these additional SNAP benefits for another year. During a press conference joined by hunger advocates, Casey made the case for continuing this initiative for one year. Casey also discussed the need to protect SNAP funding in the upcoming farm bill at a time in which some in Congress are seeking $40 billion in additional cuts.
“The SNAP program plays a critical role in the battle against hunger for children, seniors and families across Pennsylvania and throughout our nation,” Senator Casey said. “The expiration of increased SNAP benefits at this time will also have a negative impact on Pennsylvania’s economy. For every dollar invested in this program, it is estimated that the economy gets $1.75 in return. The program fuels consumer spending while providing much needed nutrition for 1.7 million Pennsylvanians. “
More than 1.7 million (14%, almost 1 in 7) Pennsylvanians annually rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps), the nation’s single most important program in the fight against hunger. One dollar of SNAP funds is estimated to increase the nation’s Gross Domestic Product by as much as $1.75 – a significant “bang for the buck.” In other words, SNAP funding not only provides much-needed support for vulnerable Americans, it also gives a significant boost to the economy.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are normally indexed for food-price inflation at the beginning of each fiscal year. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provided an across-the-board benefit increase, effective April 2009. Maximum monthly benefits were increased by 13.6%. For a one-person household, the added benefit was $24 a month; for two persons, $44 a month; for three persons (the most typical household), $63 a month; for four persons, $80 a month; and for larger households, higher amounts. With the increased benefits set to expire today, Casey’s bill would maintain the increased benefits retroactively for one year. Without ARRA’s boost, SNAP benefits will average less than $1.40 per person per meal in 2014.
| State | Substate/Region | Average SNAP Monthly Benefit Cut Per Person1 | State Average Meal Cost2 | Number of SNAP Participants1, 2 | SNAP Benefits Lost: 1 Month Period | SNAP Benefits Lost: 12 Month Period | SNAP Meals Lost: 1 Month Period | SNAP Meals Lost: 12 Month Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
PA |
ALLEGHENY CO |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
157,375 |
$1,471,696 |
$17,660,356 |
553,269 |
6,639,231 |
|
PA |
ARMSTRONG CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
10,635 |
$99,453 |
$1,193,442 |
37,389 |
448,662 |
|
PA |
BEAVER CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
24,611 |
$230,150 |
$2,761,805 |
86,523 |
1,038,272 |
|
PA |
BEDFORD CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
6,697 |
$62,627 |
$751,526 |
23,544 |
282,529 |
|
PA |
BERKS CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
62,216 |
$581,815 |
$6,981,774 |
218,727 |
2,624,727 |
|
PA |
BLAIR CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
20,955 |
$195,961 |
$2,351,535 |
73,670 |
884,036 |
|
PA |
BRADFORD |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
6,975 |
$65,227 |
$782,723 |
24,521 |
294,257 |
|
PA |
BUCKS |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
36,968 |
$345,707 |
$4,148,486 |
129,965 |
1,559,581 |
|
PA |
BUTLER CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
15,621 |
$146,080 |
$1,752,962 |
54,917 |
659,008 |
|
PA |
CAMBRIA CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
22,103 |
$206,697 |
$2,480,361 |
77,706 |
932,467 |
|
PA |
CAMERON CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
897 |
$8,388 |
$100,660 |
3,154 |
37,842 |
|
PA |
CARBON CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
8,238 |
$77,038 |
$924,454 |
28,962 |
347,539 |
|
PA |
CENTRE CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
8,044 |
$75,224 |
$902,684 |
28,280 |
339,355 |
|
PA |
CHESTER CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
24,768 |
$231,619 |
$2,779,423 |
87,075 |
1,044,896 |
|
PA |
CLARION CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
5,339 |
$49,928 |
$599,134 |
18,770 |
225,238 |
|
PA |
CLEARFIELD |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
13,320 |
$124,562 |
$1,494,748 |
46,828 |
561,935 |
|
PA |
CLINTON CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
4,964 |
$46,421 |
$557,052 |
17,451 |
209,418 |
|
PA |
COLUMBIA |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
8,014 |
$74,943 |
$899,317 |
28,174 |
338,089 |
|
PA |
CRAWFORD CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
14,174 |
$132,549 |
$1,590,582 |
49,830 |
597,963 |
|
PA |
CUMBERLAND CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
16,696 |
$156,133 |
$1,873,597 |
58,697 |
704,360 |
|
PA |
DAUPHIN CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
38,550 |
$360,501 |
$4,326,016 |
135,527 |
1,626,322 |
|
PA |
DELAWARE CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
64,044 |
$598,909 |
$7,186,909 |
225,154 |
2,701,846 |
|
PA |
ELK CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
3,387 |
$31,674 |
$380,083 |
11,907 |
142,888 |
|
PA |
ERIE CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
56,197 |
$525,528 |
$6,306,332 |
197,567 |
2,370,802 |
|
PA |
FAYETTE CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
30,309 |
$283,435 |
$3,401,225 |
106,555 |
1,278,656 |
|
PA |
FOREST CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
694 |
$6,490 |
$77,880 |
2,440 |
29,278 |
|
PA |
FRANKLIN CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
16,164 |
$151,158 |
$1,813,897 |
56,826 |
681,916 |
|
PA |
FULTON CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
1,898 |
$17,749 |
$212,990 |
6,673 |
80,072 |
|
PA |
GREENE CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
6,629 |
$61,991 |
$743,895 |
23,305 |
279,660 |
|
PA |
HUNTINGDON |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
5,934 |
$55,492 |
$665,903 |
20,862 |
250,340 |
|
PA |
INDIANA CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
9,907 |
$92,646 |
$1,111,747 |
34,829 |
417,950 |
|
PA |
JEFFERSON CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
6,779 |
$63,394 |
$760,728 |
23,832 |
285,988 |
|
PA |
JUNIATA |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
2,372 |
$22,182 |
$266,182 |
8,339 |
100,068 |
|
PA |
LACKAWANNA CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
33,024 |
$308,825 |
$3,705,897 |
116,100 |
1,393,194 |
|
PA |
LANCASTER CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
55,531 |
$519,300 |
$6,231,595 |
195,225 |
2,342,705 |
|
PA |
LAWRENCE CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
15,877 |
$148,474 |
$1,781,690 |
55,817 |
669,808 |
|
PA |
LEBANON CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
17,459 |
$163,268 |
$1,959,219 |
61,379 |
736,549 |
|
PA |
LEHIGH CO |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
48,256 |
$451,267 |
$5,415,207 |
169,649 |
2,035,792 |
|
PA |
LUZERNE CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
53,973 |
$504,730 |
$6,056,759 |
189,748 |
2,276,977 |
|
PA |
LYCOMING |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
15,259 |
$142,695 |
$1,712,339 |
53,645 |
643,737 |
|
PA |
MCKEAN CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
7,233 |
$67,640 |
$811,675 |
25,428 |
305,141 |
|
PA |
MERCER CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
18,975 |
$177,445 |
$2,129,342 |
66,709 |
800,505 |
|
PA |
MIFFLIN CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
7,526 |
$70,380 |
$844,555 |
26,458 |
317,502 |
|
PA |
MONROE CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
22,389 |
$209,371 |
$2,512,456 |
78,711 |
944,532 |
|
PA |
MONTGOMERY CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
48,315 |
$451,819 |
$5,421,827 |
169,857 |
2,038,281 |
|
PA |
MONTOUR CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
1,674 |
$15,654 |
$187,853 |
5,885 |
70,622 |
|
PA |
NORTHAMPTON CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
30,210 |
$282,510 |
$3,390,115 |
106,207 |
1,274,479 |
|
PA |
NORTHUMBERLAND CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
13,117 |
$122,664 |
$1,471,967 |
46,114 |
553,371 |
|
PA |
PERRY CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
4,177 |
$39,061 |
$468,736 |
14,685 |
176,216 |
|
PA |
Philadelphia |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
457,381 |
$4,277,210 |
$51,326,520 |
1,607,974 |
19,295,684 |
|
PA |
PIKE CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
6,283 |
$58,756 |
$705,068 |
22,089 |
265,063 |
|
PA |
POTTER CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
2,548 |
$23,828 |
$285,932 |
8,958 |
107,493 |
|
PA |
SCHUYLKILL CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
21,952 |
$205,285 |
$2,463,416 |
77,175 |
926,096 |
|
PA |
SNYDER CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
4,211 |
$39,379 |
$472,551 |
14,804 |
177,651 |
|
PA |
SOMERSET CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
9,868 |
$92,281 |
$1,107,370 |
34,692 |
416,305 |
|
PA |
SULLIVAN CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
507 |
$4,741 |
$56,895 |
1,782 |
21,389 |
|
PA |
SUSQUEHANNA |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
4,420 |
$41,334 |
$496,005 |
15,539 |
186,468 |
|
PA |
TIOGA CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
4,340 |
$40,586 |
$487,027 |
15,258 |
183,093 |
|
PA |
UNION CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
3,466 |
$32,412 |
$388,949 |
12,185 |
146,221 |
|
PA |
VENANGO CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
9,341 |
$87,353 |
$1,048,231 |
32,839 |
394,072 |
|
PA |
WARREN CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
5,660 |
$52,930 |
$635,156 |
19,898 |
238,780 |
|
PA |
WASHINGTON CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
22,899 |
$214,141 |
$2,569,687 |
80,504 |
966,048 |
|
PA |
WAYNE CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
6,537 |
$61,131 |
$733,571 |
22,982 |
275,779 |
|
PA |
WESTMORELAND CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
42,101 |
$393,709 |
$4,724,503 |
148,011 |
1,776,129 |
|
PA |
WYOMING CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
3,395 |
$31,748 |
$380,981 |
11,935 |
143,226 |
|
PA |
YORK CO BD ASSIST |
$9.35 |
$2.66 |
50,545 |
$472,673 |
$5,672,074 |
177,697 |
2,132,359 |
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