Food stamp enrollment will remain high well into 2023 due to the lingering effects of the pandemic and its disruption of the U.S. economy, said the Agriculture Department in its proposed budget for the new fiscal year. It estimated an average 43.5 million people would receive food stamps during fiscal 2023, a 3 percent increase from this year.
The administration proposed the continuation of bonus benefits to ensure that WIC participants have access to recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, “thereby improving health outcomes.”
With Congress beginning work on the 2023 farm bill, the White House said it wanted to identify shared priorities for the panoramic legislation. “The administration looks forward to working with Congress to address climate change through climate-smart agriculture and forestry, and investments in renewable energy that open new market opportunities and provide a competitive advantage for American producers of climate-smart commodities…through voluntary incentives to reduce climate risk.”
“In addition, USDA’s nutrition programs are among the most far-reaching tools available to improve health and well-being and to ensure that all Americans have access to healthy affordable food,” said the White House. “This is an important moment to reconsider barriers to food assistance for vulnerable groups that are likely undermining their chances for success.”
Public nutrition programs such as SNAP, school lunch and WIC account for the bulk of USDA spending. They would total $147 billion in fiscal 2023, compared to overall USDA spending of $208 billion. Outlays would fall dramatically from this year, when nutrition programs are projected at $203 billion and total USDA spending at $261 billion.
In the case of SNAP, outlays would fall with the expiration of temporary increases tied to pandemic relief although enrollment would rise, said a USDA senior official.
SNAP “is always lagging behind the current economic conditions,” said the official; it is slow to rise when economic conditions worsen and needs time to adjust to economic recovery. SNAP spending was estimated at $111 billion in fiscal 2023 vs $140 billion this year. Average monthly benefits in the new fiscal year would be $187 per person, down from this year’s $251 per person.
WIC participation is forecast at 6.3 million women, infants and children in fiscal 2023 vs 6.2 million now. School lunch would hold steady at 30 million students a day.
The USDA budget summary is available here.
The White House budget proposal is available here.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s statement on the budget is available here.