SNAP Recipients Unfairly Denied Emergency Food Assistance, Lawsuit Claims

Two California residents say that the Department of Agriculture’s decision to deny emergency food assistance benefits to those households already receiving the maximum amount of food stamps harms those who need assistance the most.

They urge the USDA to increase access to food stamps in California. 

The SNAP benefits in California class action lawsuit was filed by Robin Hall and Steven Summers. They explain that they are each in a household of one person, each receiving the maximum SNAP food assistance benefits for their household size. Because they are receiving the maximum amount of benefits, they allegedly are unable to receive emergency benefits.

For background to their claims, the two California residents explain that the COVID-19 health crisis has created social and economic disruption in the form of rising unemployment and decreased access to food.

Shelter-in-place orders have made it harder for many people to access food even if it is available. Additionally, the price of food available has risen such that it is becoming inaccessible to many.

This is particularly the case with food staples, as prices for these essentials have risen. 

These conditions brought on by the coronavirus reportedly has led to one in four California households to be food insecure. 

The federal government has attempted to address these conditions by passing the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, say Hall and Summers. They note that this act included further support for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly called the Food Stamp program. 

Congress also reportedly instructed the Secretary of Agriculture to provide additional assistance to states by approving their requests for emergency benefits.

These requests would allow emergency benefits to be given to current SNAP recipients, providing them with further assistance during the exceptional COVID-19 crisis conditions.

According to Summers and Hall’s claims regarding food stamps in California, the USDA has instructed the states to not offer additional, emergency benefits to those household who are already receiving the maximum SNAP benefits.

This has allegedly had the effect of denying emergency assistance to those who are the most vulnerable.

Hall and Summers explain that the people who are already receiving the highest amount of benefits possible are those people with the highest demonstrated need — they have the “lowest incomes, fewest resources, and greatest likelihood of hunger.” 

In effect, the USDA’s system of distributing emergency benefit effectively denies assistance to those in the greatest need, the plaintiffs argue.

To combat this, Hall and Summers attempt to challenge the USDA’s interpretation of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and ask the government to ensure that the families who are most in need have access to benefits.

In the SNAP benefits in California class action lawsuit, the California residents explain that the maximum SNAP allotment is determined by household size.

For a household of one individual, the maximum that a person can receive is $194 per month, which is around $6.38 per day or around $2 per meal.

However, given the rising cost of food and decreased access, this amount does not go as far as it would under normal conditions, say Hall and Summers.

California in particular has been hard hit by the coronavirus food insecurity, they say. The plaintiffs note that the most job loss has been experienced in the entertainment, hospitality, food, and service industries, explaining that already, these industries have workers who are most likely to be food insecure. Now, the situation is more dire than it was before.

Though the state of California and the Department of Agriculture have decided to use the emergency funds to bring all SNAP recipients up to the maximum benefits during the coronavirus crisis, this has reportedly had the effect of shutting the people most in need out of additional benefits. 

Hall and Summers explain that this view about access to food stamps in California has already been expressed by the California Department of Social Services. This department reportedly sent a letter rejecting the USDA’s interpretation of the additional assistance, saying that not providing benefits to the families most in need would not help “alleviate the negative impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic” as intended and would actively harm families.

How has your community been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic? Has access to social services increased in your area? Share your pandemic experiences in the comments below. 

Hall and Summers are represented by Lindsay Nako, Jocelyn D. Larkin, and David S. Nahmias of the Impact Fund and by Alexander Prieto, Richard Rothschild, Antionette D. Dozier, and Rebecca Miller of the Western Center on Law & Poverty.

The Food Stamps in California Access Class Action Lawsuit is Robin Hall, et al. v. United States Department of Agriculture, et al., Case No. 4:20-cv-03454-HSG, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. 

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