Executive Director responds to Gov. Corbett's revised proposal for a SNAP asset test.

On Feb. 1, the Corbett administration announced new limits for its planned asset test for food stamps (now known as SNAP). The new plan set the limits at $5,500 for most families. For seniors and people with disabilities, that limit would be $9,000.

Under the plan, a family's second car would still be counted as an asset if it was valued at over $4,650.

Statement from Coalition Executive Director Carey Morgan:     

"Considering all of the concern raised by constituents, legislators, businesses and community organizations across the state over the asset test for SNAP, we’re disappointed that Gov. Corbett has made yet another announcement that would impact 1.8 million Pennsylvanians without public input. There has been no transparency in this decision-making process.

Despite the new limits proposed by the Governor, an asset test for SNAP is still a bad idea for Pennsylvania taxpayers and the economy. The Department of Public Welfare estimates that less than 0.5 percent of families receiving SNAP would be cut from the program under these thresholds. It makes no sense to disqualify low-income Pennsylvanians from a federally funded program while driving up administrative costs for the state. Caseworkers would have to comb through the bank statements and calculate the car values of more than 880,000 families—the vast majority of whom would not be affected by the asset test.

Gov. Corbett has failed to release the projected administrative costs of this added burden on already understaffed County Assistance Offices—another example of the lack of openness in this administration’s handling of this far-reaching decision.

What’s more, an asset test would not save Pennsylvania a dime of taxpayer money. SNAP benefits are fully funded by the federal government. By instituting an asset test, Gov. Corbett is turning away federal SNAP dollars that would otherwise be pumped into our economy as SNAP benefits are spent at grocery stores, farmers’ markets and small businesses across the state.

The bottom line: An asset test is a complete waste of Pennsylvania taxpayers’ money at a time when our state can’t afford to squander any of its resources."

For media inquiries, please contact Ronna Bolante: 215-430-0555, rbolante@hungercoalition.org.