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Report sets the record straight on closing food stamp loopholes & the school lunch program

Naples, FL –  A new report, released today by the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA), exposes the false claim that closing food stamp loopholes will unfairly penalize children in the school lunch program. According to the report, more than 99.9 percent of school-aged kids on food stamps would remain eligible for the school lunch program if food stamp loopholes were eliminated.

Broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE) is a welfare loophole used by states to circumvent food stamp income and asset limits, resulting in millions of individuals on food stamps with incomes or assets above program thresholds—at the expense of the truly needy.

Because receiving food stamps also makes individuals categorically eligible for other nutrition programs, critics of welfare reform have raised concerns about the impact of eliminating BBCE on the school lunch program. However, according to the report, authored by FGA’s vice president of research Jonathan Ingram and research director Nic Horton, more than 99.9 percent of school-aged kids on food stamps would still qualify for the school lunch program if BBCE were eliminated.

“Several states have already taken steps to eliminate BBCE and close this food stamp loophole. The House Farm Bill takes a step towards preserving resources for the truly needy and protecting the integrity of both the food stamp and school lunch programs,” said Horton. “False claims should not disrupt or delay critical reform that is desperately needed. Closing this loophole should be a top priority for policymakers everywhere.”

The full paper can be viewed here.

The Foundation for Government Accountability is a non–profit, multi–state think tank that specializes in health care, welfare, and work reform. To learn more, visit TheFGA.org.

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