A proposed federal rule change would result in thousands of Oregonians losing *eligibility for food stamp benefits. During a public comment period, Lane County advocates responded to the feds with disapproval of the changes.
“A misguided proposal.”
That’s the comment from FOOD for Lane County’s Tom Mulhern. He says if the changes go into effect, nearly 12,000 residents or more than 6,500 families, would lose benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
And Mulhern say that means “there will be more of these folks showing up at emergency food pantries asking for food boxes and seeking food assistance in that manner.”
Food stamps currently provide about ten meals for every one meal distributed through the food pantry network. Mulhern says cuts in SNAP benefits would stress his agency’s capacity and increase food insecurity for more families.
No rule changes can be made until the more than 11,000 public comments have been reviewed.