However, undercutting the positive impact of the SNAP shelter deduction is an arbitrary “cap” on the excess shelter costs that most SNAP families with children are allowed to claim. Understanding the SNAP Shelter DeductionThe SNAP shelter deduction allows a household to deduct housing expenses — like monthly rent, repair costs, and standard utility allowances — that exceed half of its net income when calculating SNAP benefits. [6]How the SNAP Shelter Deduction Cap Exacerbates the Squeeze Between Food and ShelterThe cap on the SNAP shelter deduction undercuts the adequacy of monthly SNAP food aid that many SNAP households with children receive and limits the extent to which SNAP helps them pay for both food and stable shelter. [14] Uncapping the SNAP shelter deduction can contribute to a modest mitigation of the “hunger cliff” looming ahead for many of them. Learn more from FRAC’s fact sheet about the shelter cap policy, the harm it causes SNAP households, and policy solutions to lift the cap.

Source: New York Times September 16, 2022 16:49 UTC