Trump administration says it will withhold SNAP food aid from Democrat-led states over data

"WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump's administration said Tuesday that it will move to withhold SNAP food aid from recipients in most Democratic-controlled states starting next week unless they provide information about those receiving the assistance. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday that the action is in the works because those states are refusing to provide data the department requested such as the names and immigration status of the aid recipients."

"About 42 million lower-income Americans, or 1 in 8, rely on SNAP to help buy groceries. The average monthly benefit is about $190 per person, or a little over $6 a day. The program is not normally in the political spotlight, but it has been this year. As part of Trump's big tax and policy bill earlier in the year, work requirements are expanding to include people who are ages 55 to 64, homeless people and others."

"And amid the recent federal government shutdown, the administration planned not to fund the benefits for November. There was a back-and-forth in the courts about whether they could do so, but then the government reopened and benefits resumed before the final word. In the meantime, some states scrambled to fund benefits on their own and most increased or accelerated money for food banks."

The Trump administration will withhold SNAP food aid from recipients in most Democratic-controlled states unless those states provide requested recipient data, including names and immigration status. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said officials view the data as necessary to identify fraud. About 42 million lower-income Americans rely on SNAP, receiving an average of about $190 per month. Work requirements were recently expanded to include people ages 55 to 64, homeless people, and others. During the federal shutdown the administration initially planned not to fund November benefits, prompting legal disputes and some states to temporarily cover benefits and boost food bank funding.

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