In the wake of pandemic-related economic challenges, certain low-income households in the United States were granted additional federal assistance for grocery purchases—a measure that has since been curtailed. Consequently, a surge in food insecurity has taken hold among impoverished families with children, with over 40% of such households now reported to be missing meals, as per recent research findings.
This figure represents twice the proportion of individuals who were foregoing meals in comparison to the previous year, according to a study conducted by Propel. Propel is a company that offers an app catering to food-stamp recipients, allowing them to track their balances. The survey encompassed more than 2,800 users of the app, spanning the period from August 1 to August 14. Food insecurity, as defined by the study, pertains to insufficient access to food for maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle.
The government’s initiative known as the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) was established by Congress in 2020 as schools across the nation shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program aimed to assist families with children by offering financial support for grocery purchases, replacing the school meals that children were missing. However, since the previous summer, funding for P-EBT has undergone a reduction of 70%, as highlighted by Propel.
While it’s true that the nation has largely regained its economic stability since the initial stages of the pandemic, and public schools have resumed in-person classes, the reduction in nutritional aid for low-income households appears to be exacerbating hunger across the United States. This trend persists alongside the ongoing challenges of inflation and heightened grocery prices faced by numerous families.
The survey findings indicate that the percentage of households benefiting from P-EBT that skipped meals in August surged to 42%, marking more than a twofold increase from the 20% rate observed a year earlier. Moreover, around 55% of households receiving P-EBT benefits acknowledged consuming less food in August, a notable rise from the 27% reported a year ago.
Further cutbacks are anticipated in P-EBT benefits, a consequence of the government’s official termination of the public health emergency in May. The program is mandated to disburse all its funds by September 30, and during the summer, Congress decreased the benefit to $120 per child, as outlined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. At its peak, the program had provided a range of approximately $250 to $400 per child.
Households with children are grappling with additional financial burdens as well. Approximately 1 in 5 households with children faced rental arrears last month, a contrast to the 10% observed among households without children. Additionally, close to one-third of families with children were delinquent on utility payments, in contrast to 16% of households without children.
Recent Census data covering a seven-day period up to August 7 indicates that roughly 12% of U.S. adults, equating to nearly 23 million individuals, lived in households where there was at times inadequate food availability. In states such as Mississippi, this proportion approached 20%.