JACKSON, Miss.–Food stamps, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, are starting to be cut nationwide and Mississippi is one of the states that will be hit the hardest.
That’s not because the magnolia state will necessarily be taking a bigger cut than most other states, but because of the sheer number of people that are on SNAP benefits.
Almost one out of every four persons in Mississippi receive SNAP benefits from the government which is high enough to be tops in the nation just above Oregon and New Mexico.
Nationwide it’s about a 5 percent decrease in benefits and just under 48 million people will see that reduction for November and moving forward.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture a family of four will see their monthly stipend of around $278 be cut down by about $36. That is very close to what Mississippians will see starting Friday.
In total that’s about $70 million cut from Mississippi SNAP benefits next year and over a $5 billion cut nationwide.
These cuts come over after the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act stimulus bill of 2009 ran its course and allowed higher benefits for a short window of time.
