Feds Abandon Proposed Food Stamp Restrictions

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has withdrawn a proposed food stamp overhaul that would have cut benefits to an estimated 3.1 million low-income Americans. The Trump administration  had said the rule change would help it better target those in need, but AARP wrote to the USDA last year arguing it would end food stamp eligibility for more than one in eight households with elderly members. This week, the Biden administration scrapped the proposal.

More than 5 million people age 60 and older benefited from food stamps in 2019. AARP estimates that as many as 1 in 7 older Americans is food insecure, meaning they don’t have consistent access to enough food to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle.