An estimated 13,000 Kentuckians between the ages of 50 and 54 could lose vital food aid because of the recently passed debt ceiling deal, according to an analysis from the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy.
The analysis further says that with the nation’s second highest rate of food insecurity among people in their 50s, Kentucky will be hit especially hard by cuts in food assistance for older Americans.
Further, expanding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s work-reporting requirement could cause issues.
“These backward requirements suggest that somehow less grocery money will lead to more work and higher incomes,” said Jessica Klein, KyPolicy Policy associate. “But we have years of evidence that show they’re far more effective at tripping people up with paperwork and causing them to lose food aid. We should be getting rid of this harmful policy altogether, not expanding it.”
In addition to their high food insecurity rate, older Kentuckians may be particularly vulnerable to losing benefits due to age-related employment challenges. Older adults are more likely to face age-related discrimination or to have a work-limiting health condition that may restrict their ability to work, the types of jobs they can still do or their ability to get enough work hours.
Read the full analysis here.