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Measuring The Impact Of Food Stamp Cuts

Kansas’ new rules for food stamp recipientsrequire them to work or participate in a job training program if they are able-bodied and have no dependents. They’re actually federal requirements that were in effect from 1997 until 2009, but were waived across the country when the recent recession hit.  

Kansas is one of a handful of states that are voluntarily re-instating those rules.  But if Congress makes major cuts to SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps), Kansas’ culling of the food stamp rolls could be a preview of what’s to come for the rest of the country.

We discuss the potential impact of cutting people from food stamps, and the effectiveness of requiring people to work in order to receive them.

Guests:

  • James Ziliak, economics professor at the University of Kentucky, director of the Center for Poverty Research 
  • Rachel Sheffield, policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation
  • Ellen Feldhausen, Harvesters: The Community Food Network

Sylvia Maria Gross is storytelling editor at KCUR 89.3. Reach her on Twitter @pubradiosly.
Matthew Long-Middleton has been a talk-show producer, community producer, Media Training Manager and now the Community Engagement Manager at KCUR. You can reach him at Matthew@kcur.org, or on Twitter @MLMIndustries.
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