Posted on 07/23/2017 3:33:24 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
In the super-charged public debate on health care, many advocates are rightly calling attention to the importance of protecting the health needs of people with disabilities. But for many in Southwest Washington who are living with a disability — and for their families — having health insurance coverage is just one part of the struggle.
Severe and chronic disabilities are often associated with a significant decline in earnings. For families with children who have disabilities, for example, parents are often forced to step back from work to care for their child — making it even more difficult to shoulder high health-related costs.
As a result, they have a hard time making enough money to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. And research shows that people with disabilities in the U.S and in Washington state are more likely to live in poverty. Many of these people are just one accident or medical challenge away from financial catastrophe.
That’s where the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) comes in. SNAP helps nearly 26,000 children, working families, seniors, and people with disabilities buy food in Clark County. Of those, 11,700 are people with disabilities. By helping them put healthy food on the table, SNAP keeps many from falling into severe poverty or homelessness, or from facing other hardships. And it helps improve long-term health, education, and employment outcomes.
The program is especially critical for people living in Southwest Washington’s rural communities. In fact, 21 percent of households — nearly 20,000 households in total — in Cowlitz, Klickitat, Lewis, Pacific, Skamania, and Wahkiakum counties participate in SNAP, a much higher percentage of the population than the state average of 14 percent. Further, people on SNAP in southwest Washington’s rural counties are much more likely to have disabilities. Fifty-six percent of SNAP participants in these counties have disabilities, compared to 46 percent statewide.
In short, the program offers a significant number of Southwest Washingtonians with disabilities the chance to thrive. Cuts to SNAP would be devastating to their economic well-being.
But this program doesn’t just help families. SNAP also helps drive local spending, which helps create jobs and strengthen our state’s economy. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, every $5 spent on SNAP benefits results in $9 in economic activity. That’s because with SNAP benefits, people have more to spend at the grocery store — providing a boost to local businesses and farmers.
Despite these proven benefits, Congress is targeting vital support programs like SNAP with drastic cuts. In fact, the budget resolution that House Republicans just released calls for $150 billion in cuts to SNAP (a more than 20 percent reduction) over the next decade.
While the specific details of how Congress would restrict and restructure the funding are still unclear, cuts of this magnitude would nevertheless put our state on the hook for billions of dollars over the next 10 years. They would also crack the foundation of well-being for hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities in Washington — and hurt local businesses in the process.
We all pay the price when family-supporting policies come under attack. And we all share in the responsibility to ensure that when members of our communities hit hard times, they are still able to cover their most basic needs. Washingtonians must call on their elected leaders to protect investments in SNAP — thereby helping to protect the health and financial security of people with disabilities.
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Julie Watts is deputy director of the Washington State Budget & Policy Center, a nonpartisan research organization that works to advance prosperity for all Washingtonians. Darla Helt is the executive director of Parents Empowered and Communities Enhanced, a nonprofit that helps individuals of all abilities access their community.
These people. Do they or do they not have tattoos?
GA & ME are 2 that I can think of.
If you are of working age and have no dependents, to qualify you must be actively seeking work, enrolled in job training or do a small amount of community service.
Another way to cut costs is that if your children are enrolled in free meals at school that cost will be deducted from your benefits.
Also limiting what can be purchased.
Recent report showed that the #1 item purchased with SNAP was soda pop.
GA & ME are 2 that I can think of.
If you are of working age and have no dependents, to qualify you must be actively seeking work, enrolled in job training or do a small amount of community service.
Another way to cut costs is that if your children are enrolled in free meals at school that cost will be deducted from your benefits.
Also limiting what can be purchased.
Recent report showed that the #1 item purchased with SNAP was soda pop.
This would be just a tad more sympathetic if the government disallowed the vast number of people on disability who are not actually disabled, but are using it as a scam to get free stuff and money.
Rand Paul says most people receive disability for back pain or anxiety.
At least the military tries to regularly audit veterans on disability, which already are generally less likely to be fakers, especially after returning to civilian life for a few years. Far fewer veterans remain on disability unless they are genuinely permanently disabled.
I have so many I can’t list them here.
“Lord, Jesus, please be with our brother, 2ndDivisionVet. We ask for Your healing and Your provision for him. Thank You, Lord! Amen!”
2ndDiv, I just had two strokes and am now disabled myself. I lost about 1/4 of the right side of my brain. Right now I’m just learning how to keep on living and not give up. Because I have a Savior!
My wife had a stroke several years ago and again this last January. She lost most of her sight this last time.
Praying for her and you
They buy the pop ad resell it back to the grocery store for half in cash. Happens all the time.
If by “disabled” you mean “afflicted with Wasting Chronic Sitonyourassitis,” then you’d cover about 90 percent of the food stamp rolls.
Fraud here should be a class A felony and the punishment should match the charge. Defrauding the disabled and those unable to fend for themselves is a heinous crime and the punishment should be equality horrific.
And the legitimate ones are very real. So the fakers are *stealing* resources from them as well.
If someone is disabled, then I don’t have a problem with food stamps.
Problem is, I’ve NEVER seen anyone on food stamps who truly deserves it.
True. Lots of inner city convenience stores do it. Cheaper than wholesale.
That’s just disgusting. I applied as a last resort after a sudden car repair left me with a literal $0 bank balance. And I’m a perfectly able bodied 20something.
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