SNAP – R&R – Reachout and Rebuild

What is Public Charge?

David Posnett — Sun, 09 Dec 2018 02:44:11 +0000

From Eve Krief MD

WHAT IS PUBLIC CHARGE? FULL EXPLAINER HERE:
A new proposal from DHHS expands the definition of what it means to be a “public charge,” making it harder for immigrants to enter the United States and advance through the immigration process. The proposal was officially published on October 10, 2018.
“Public charge” has long been a part of our country’s immigration laws. Currently, a “public charge” is defined as someone who is primarily dependent on the government for subsistence. A public charge determination is made when a person applies for a visa to enter the United States or to adjust status to obtain a green card (but not when applying for citizenship). In other words, someone who is found to be a public charge under this definition can be denied a visa or green card.

Under the new public charge proposal, an immigrant’s use, or likely use, of certain public benefits can now be considered to deny entry or permanent legal status in the United States. For the first time, the government will look at an immigrant’s use of Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), housing assistance, and Medicare Part D low income subsidy. The administration is also contemplating adding use of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to the list of programs that would count toward a public charge determination.

Additionally, the proposal would consider family income as a factor in determining whether an immigrant is a public charge, putting low-income parents with children at a disadvantage compared to adults without children. To avoid scrutiny under the public charge test, a family of four would need to earn nearly $63,000 annually. And, the proposal would discriminate against people with preexisting conditions. Specifically, a low-income immigrant with a medical condition that may require extensive treatment who is unable to cover the cost of such treatment could be determined to be a public charge.

This is your last chance to raise your voice for the hundreds of thousands of children and families who are currently afraid to access public benefits like Medicaid, WIC (Women, Infants, and Children Food and Nutrition Service) & SNAP, even though they are eligible.

Documented and undocumented children and families across the country are terrified that new rules, even though they are not yet implemented, will impact their ability to get citizenship, green cards, and to bring their family members to join them.

They are even afraid that they may be deported if the new rules are put in place, or if they apply for benefits today before the new rules take effect.

Although none of these fears are based on current facts, they are, right now, causing families to avoid vital public benefits like Medicaid, WIC & SNAP.

The changes to public charge will make the lives of children and families, whether documented or undocumented, more difficult, frightening, and stressful. This debate and the final outcome has enormous implications for the health and well-being of children and families across the country. Like all children, children in immigrant families benefit when they have access to programs and services that promote their health and development. The new public charge rule could restrict their access and harm their health. #ProtectFamilies, oppose public charge.

Please submit your public comments above by December 10th.

Here is what you can do immediately:

(1) The most urgent is to submit public comment against changes to public charge as this is due by 12/10. Here is a FB link explaining what the changes are and how they will impact immigrants: “Under the new public charge proposal, an immigrant’s use, or likely use, of certain public benefits can now be considered to deny entry or permanent legal status”

https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=DHS_FRDOC_0001-1706&fbclid=IwAR13SvyC-hwEQW7QU1gwRPxl-DHWkRkuvCydDS-p7cw6-SVyw4DtPi95MCk

(2) for those interested in helping more directly with migrants at the border I would refer them to a new sanctuary where they can donate money or services or get trained to help

https://www.sanctuarycaravan.org/take_action

(3) Call members of Congress to

express objection to holding unprecedented numbers of children in detention . Now that the Flores Agreement has been overturned despite tremendous public comment, children will be allowed to be held in detention indefinitely with no guarantees to their human rights . This is unacceptable
tell them we need to offer asylum hearings to people legally seeking it who are escaping life threatening situations for them and their children . We have to get more staffing at the border for those who oversee such proceedings because people are not getting the hearings they are entitled to and the back up of migrants has led to a humanitarian crisis at the border that is only going to get worse if we don’t intervene .

Nonprofits struggle to house migrants in San Diego

Trump Wants to Charge Retailers to Accept SNAP Benefits (Food Stamps)

David Posnett — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 17:37:44 +0000

When is the GOP’s cruel assault on the most vulnerable going to end?

From Modern Farmer

By Andrew Amelinckx on June 9, 2017

You’ve probably heard about the White House’s proposed overhaul of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program, formerly known as food stamps—the program would see deep cuts if President Donald Trump’s budget goes forward. But you may not be familiar with another proposal that could also affect the 43 million Americans who rely on SNAP, as well as the grocers who accept these benefits from their customers.

Trump wants to charge grocery stores and other retailers a fee for accepting SNAP benefits to the tune of more than $2 billion over 10 years, with businesses from corner stores to Walmart bearing the cost. Currently, retailers don’t pay a fee to get authorized to accept SNAP benefits, but they are required to register with the Department of Agriculture, the agency responsible for overseeing the program.

As outlined in the White House’s Major Savings and Reforms—which makes up the budget plan and also A New Foundation for American Greatness—the fees would be on a sliding scale, and would be charged when a retailer first signs up to participate and again when they renew their application every five years. Small businesses, like convenience stores, would pay somewhere in the range of $250 while large supermarket chains would have to shell out as much as $20,000. It’s unclear what type of fee farmers markets and CSAs—many of which now accept SNAP benefits–would be responsible for under the proposal.

According to The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which is responsible for producing the president’s budget plan, the current system “fails to recognize the Federal costs of application processing and oversight of retailers, and the significant portion of a retailer’s revenue that SNAP can represent.”

Also: Check out what Food & Wine has to say: http://www.foodandwine.com/news/trump-charges-stores-for-accepting-food-stamps

Sweet Home Alabama?

David Posnett — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 17:51:15 +0000

Alabama counties cut 85% of their food stamp participants with no work in sight

By Walter Einenkel

Tuesday Jun 06, 2017 · 2:45 PM EDT

Maybe he can find a job at that abandoned building?

While former Governor Robert Bentley was using Alabama taxpayer funds to fly helicopters to find his wallet and nearly getting himself impeached for misusing campaign funds (amongst other things), he was standing out front with his baton in the Republican hypocrite-parade. Since the beginning of the year, Alabama has cut away the “work requirement” exemption that was in place during the economic crash for people receiving food stamps from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Since January 1, thousands have been purged and now the remaining counties that still had the exemption have also seen thousands of people going hungry.

During the economic downturn of 2011-2013, several states – including Alabama – waived the SNAP work requirements in response to high unemployment. It was reinstituted for 54 counties on Jan. 1, 2016 and for the remaining 13 on Jan. 1, 2017. As of April 2017, the highest jobless rate among the 13 previously excluded counties was in Wilcox County, which reported a state-high unemployment rate of 11.7 percent, down more than 11 percentage points from the county’s jobless rate for the same month of 2011.

[…]

As of Jan. 1, 2017, there were 13,663 able-bodied adults without dependents receiving food stamps statewide. That number dropped to 7,483 by May 1, 2017. Among the 13 counties, there were 5,538 adults ages 18-50 without dependents receiving food stamps as of Jan. 1, 2017. That number dropped to 831 – a decline of about 85 percent – by May 1, 2017.

The good news is that Alabama is saving a few dollars. The bad news is that this bullshit form of bootstrap-pulling isn’t going to motivate people any more than they already are. Those areas don’t have an abundance of jobs, nor meaningful public transportation for people to get even volunteer work to meet these magic requirements.

Robert Gain volunteers in the kitchen at First Stop, Inc. and said he is trying to meet the requirements.

“Most of the people around here, their food stamps are canceled, and this is the only meal they’re going to get today,” Gain said.

[…]

Gain’s food stamps ran out on April 1. It’s because of changes to the Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which limit people to receive three months of benefits within a three-year time frame unless they are working or volunteer training for at least 20 hours a week.

Gain is lucky as there aren’t enough positions, even in the volunteer world, to get the required hours needed. The good news is that Gov. Bentley was hoping to find a nice place for everyone to live.

Gov. Robert Bentley said a plan to borrow $800 million to build four new state prisons will be his most important goal during the 2017 legislative session, which is two weeks away.

You don’t have to wear a tinfoil hat to know that the Republican Party is driven by a racist and classist prison state ideology.