The government will fund up to 10 pilot projects to provide food stamp recipients with the training and education to move up the job ladder, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced at a county employment office in Arlington, Va. The $200 million program is intended to improve the $400 million-a-year employment and training programs that are an adjunct of the major U.S. anti-hunger program. Some 46.2 million people were enrolled in food stamps at latest count.
“This is a real, progressive effort to reduce (food stamp) rolls the right way,” Vilsack said, rather than denying aid to millions of people. Conservative Republicans in the House wanted to tighten eligibility rules and cut food stamps by $40 billion over 10 years, the largest cut in a generation, as part of the 2014 farm law. In the face of unyielding opposition from the Democratic-controlled Senate, the House agreed to set up the pilot projects.
States have a deadline of Nov 24 to submit proposals. Winners are to be announced in February 2015 with the three-year pilots to begin operation by October. Vilsack said $35 million would be allotted for evaluation of the projects.
“We are going to learn along the way,” he told reporters, with “new and creative” techniques that can be adopted broadly. “I fully expect this to be successsful.”
USDA said it was looking for programs that prepare food stamp recipients for “available, in-demand jobs,” an approach that would benefit employers too. Many food stamp participants are out of work but 40 percent of food-stamp households include a wage-earner.
Conservative Republicans have targeted food stamps for cuts next year. A sore point is a provision that triggers additional food stamp when recipients also get state help for utility costs. The 2014 farm law set a $20 minimum for state utility aid, up from $1. Half of the 16 affected states have said they will provide the $20 this year. Agriculture Undersecretary Kevin Concannon said he believes the states “actually would repeat that again in following years.” Conservatives say states are abusing a loophole.
Food stamps, formally named the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, are forecast to cost $80 billion this year. Costs more than doubled and enrollment surged by 20 million following the 2008-09 recession.