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Public comment period closing on proposed changes to food stamps

Brett Dahlberg
/
WXXI News
Don Jones (l) makes a sale to a customer paying with SNAP benefit tokens.

The public comment period is closing today on a proposed change to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps.

The amount someone spends on utilities is one factor used to determine eligibility for SNAP. The U.S. Department of Agriculture wants to standardize the calculations across the country, which would negatively impact people in states where utility costs are higher than the national average.

According to Feeding America, the proposal stands to save the government $4.5 billion and would impact 7 million Americans.

This is the latest move by the Trump Administration to make changes and cuts to the program. Other proposals include imposing work requirements, and raising or eliminating income and asset limits.