Federal Nutrition Programs after the Pandemic: Learning from P-EBT and SNAP to Create the Next Generation of Food Safety Net Programs

Abstract

It is thought that childhood food insecurity rates increased to 18 million impacted children in 2020. In response, innovative policy solutions from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) were swiftly implemented. These innovations must serve as catalysts to create the next generation of food safety net programs. These include the removal of administrative barriers to enrollment, the use of streamlined procedures to access food, the expansion of P-EBT to daycare and childcare centers, and the uncoupling of receipt of benefits from physical presence in schools. Critical gaps also remain. SNAP benefit amounts are often too low, leaving many families ineligible. More realistic benefit amounts are needed, such as those used in the USDA’s Moderate Cost Food Plan. Eligibility cut-offs exclude many food insecure families. Better alignment of SNAP eligibility with income levels that substantially increase food insecurity risk are critical. Lastly, creating slower phase-out periods for benefits as incomes rise is essential. Additionally, food insecurity continues to disproportionately impact racial and ethnic minority populations and low-income households. These deeply rooted inequalities in access to nutrition play an important role in driving health disparities, including obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and other chronic comorbidities and must be further examined. Changes to SNAP and the P-EBT program illustrate how innovative, broad-scale policy solutions can expeditiously support the nutritional needs of families with children. While pandemic-inspired innovation offers critical lessons for designing the next generation of nutrition assistance, there remain gaps that can perpetuate disparities in access to food and health. As a community of medical providers, we must advocate for broader, more inclusive policies to support those facing food insecurity. The future depends on it.

Food Security Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Longitudinal Evidence from a Cohort of Adults in Vermont during the First Year

“…We also demonstrated that certain demographic groups were at higher odds of experiencing food insecurity during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, including women, younger people (under 63), BIPOC/Hispanic respondents, people without a college degree, lower income households (<USD 50,000), households with children, and people who experienced a job disruption during the pandemic. These findings are consistent with other research on food insecurity during COVID-19 [ 22 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ] and with research on food insecurity before the pandemic [ 2 , 3 , 4 ].…”

Prevention of Pediatric Overweight and Obesity: Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Based on an Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews

“…In addition, food assistance programs for children need to be strengthened to withstand future disruptions. 14,124 As was seen with the pandemic, child nutrition services programs needed to find alternate ways of delivery to supply nutritious foods to families, 120,121 many of whom were in greater need due to the economic and work force disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. 125,126 Existing food systems in the school setting, WIC, and SNAP needed to be modified during the COVID-19 pandemic, and many RDNs were at the forefront of these changes, which included universal free meals at schools, 127 enhancement of the Child Nutrition Summer Feeding Program, 128 pandemic electronic benefit transfer, 124 and waiving in-person enrollment visits for WIC.…”

“…14,124 As was seen with the pandemic, child nutrition services programs needed to find alternate ways of delivery to supply nutritious foods to families, 120,121 many of whom were in greater need due to the economic and work force disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. 125,126 Existing food systems in the school setting, WIC, and SNAP needed to be modified during the COVID-19 pandemic, and many RDNs were at the forefront of these changes, which included universal free meals at schools, 127 enhancement of the Child Nutrition Summer Feeding Program, 128 pandemic electronic benefit transfer, 124 and waiving in-person enrollment visits for WIC. 129 There is concern that the combination of lack of nutrition education, decreased access to food assistance programs, and decreased participation in physical education and sports programs, especially due to school closures, have contributed to the pediatric obesity epidemic, and emerging evidence seems to confirm this view.…”

Patterns of Food Assistance Program Participation, Food Insecurity, and Pantry Use among U.S. Households with Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Participation in federal nutrition assistance programs has been shown to reduce food insecurity in low-income families [ 25 ]. However, numerous barriers prevent some individuals from accessing these programs, including lack of information about the programs, difficulty applying, perception of stigma, and criteria restrictions [ 26 , 27 , 28 ]. While previous research has shown that participation in federal food and nutrition assistance programs increases during periods of economic hardship [ 29 ], pandemic-related barriers may have hampered program participation by some groups [ 30 , 31 ].…”