Take Action to End the Food Stamp Asset Test

By Just Harvest on March 31, 2015 in Action, Blog, Get Involved

In 2012, former PA governor Tom Corbett reinstated the food stamp asset test. The asset test limits eligibility for the food stamp (SNAP) program, one of the most effective anti-hunger and anti-poverty programs in the country. This was a disastrous change in policy for the one in seven Pennsylvanians (1.7 million people) who at any given time rely on food stamps to put food on their table.

Under federal guidelines, food stamp applicants in Pennsylvania must go through a rigorous process which includes submitting nearly a dozen documents and forms to show that their income (or lack thereof) places them no higher than just above the poverty line (130% of poverty). The PA asset test requires all food stamp applicants to also submit bank statements for checking and savings accounts, and vehicle registration(s) to show their savings and second cars (if they have them) are worth below $5,500 ($9,000 for seniors).

We call upon Gov. Wolf to immediately repeal the asset test. This unfair policy:

Is completely unnecessary. Before the test was imposed, even the Corbett administration admitted that fewer than 1 in 200 food stamp recipients have such assets. The average food stamp applicant has only $331 in the bank.
Wastes taxpayers’ dollars. By adding even more paperwork for caseworkers to review it taxes an overburdened and underfunded system that is already difficult to navigate.
Creates delays for those who desperately need food assistance by requiring more hoops to jump through in order to receive food stamps.
Robs thousands of families, seniors, and those with disabilities of vital benefits, either by finding them ineligible or by putting yet another bureaucratic roadblock in their path that they can’t overcome.
Punishes people in poverty for having the kind of assets that, though modest, could help get them back on their feet. It means they must not just be poor, but desperately poor, before they can get help. This kind of cruelty has real costs for children and our community.

Not only does the asset test leave many vulnerable Pennsylvanians without a safety net, it is simply bad policy. We urge you to make good on your campaign promise and eliminate the asset test immediately.