From the Aging and Disabilities Advisory Council
Dear Representative DelBene:
On behalf of the Advisory Council on Aging & Disability Services, the Seattle-King County Area Agency on Aging, I want to share our great concern about the draft Farm Bill, specifically the proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
SNAP is the cornerstone in the fight against hunger in America and comprises a critical piece of the safety net for low-income families, older adults, and people with disabilities. The proposed farm bill legislation, which passed out of the House Agriculture Committee in April, puts a huge hole in this safety net and will result in more working families, children, and the elderly going hungry.
The impacts of hunger and food insecurity for older adults are serious and costly. Seniors struggling with food insecurity are 53 percent more likely to die of a heart attack, 40 percent more likely to have congestive heart failure, 52 percent more likely to develop asthma, and 60 percent more likely to suffer from depression. A recent study linked food insecurity to hospital admissions and showed a correlation between spikes in low blood sugar and the last week of the month, which is when many older adults have exhausted their SNAP budgets.
We strongly oppose harmful changes to SNAP, which include stringent work requirements, significant reductions in benefits, and limiting the ability of states to effectively address systemic barriers that create a cycle of poverty, e.g., the “cliff effect” – small gains in income which result in larger loss of benefits. Instead, we urge you to put forward a robust bi-partisan bill, that protects and strengthens SNAP by increasing benefits to ensure that all families and older adults have access to quality nutrition every day of the year.
Sincerely,
Ava Frisinger, Chair
Aging and Disability Services Advisory Council
The “Area Agency on Aging” http://www.agingkingcounty.org/