Policy Analysis Paper

Policy Analysis Paper SW 4710 October 24, 2013 Brian Meadows Wayne State University

Policy Analysis Paper

Current Social Problem The current social problem being addressed in this paper is hunger in the United States of America. This is a social problem because there are many households in this nation who fall under the poverty line or live in a household that has food insecurity. According to Edwards, Weber and Bernell (2007), In food secure households, all household members had access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. Food insecure households were uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food to meet basic needs for all household members because they had insufficient money and other resources for food (p. 580). These factors cause families to not eat often and get the proper amount of nutrition daily. According to Klein (2008), a national survey taken in 1995, a year marked by good economic news, showed hunger existed among persons in 4.2 million households (p. 52). The comparisons between then and more recently are shocking. According to Feeding America (2013), in 2012 there were 46.5 million people in poverty and of those 46. 5 million, 16.5 million were children under the age of 18 and 3.9 million were seniors 65 years of age and older. These numbers are staggering because we are looking at kids who cant get a job that will sustain their day to day living and seniors who have either retired or are working low wage jobs. The comparisons between a 17 year window are unbelievable; its like youre looking at two totally different countries. Its as if the system has not or will not look out for those who cannot fully defend themselves when it comes to the battle that is hunger. Policies There have been numerous policies and programs enacted and revised to address the issue that is hunger in the United States. Some of these policies and programs include the Supplemental

Policy Analysis Paper

Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). SNAP offers nutrition assistance to millions of eligible, low-income individuals and families and provides economic benefits to communities (Food and Nutrition Service, 2013). WIC provides Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk (Food and Nutrition Service, 2013). TEFAP is in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) which buys the food, including processing and packaging, and ships it to the States. The amount received by each State depends on its lowincome and unemployed population (Food and Nutrition Service, 2013). While all of these have been successful in providing adequate food resources to those in need, SNAP has been the most widely successful and recognized of the anti-hunger programs and policies. SNAP currently falls under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, which became effective on October 1, 2008. The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 states that the goal is to alleviate such hunger and malnutrition, a supplemental nutrition assistance program is herein authorized which will permit low-income households to obtain a more nutritious diet through normal channels of trade by increasing food purchasing power for all eligible households who apply for participation (p. 2). While this sounds like a perfect way to combat hunger, this policy has holes that will prevent many citizens of the country to receive assistance. Hunger has been a widely known issue in the United States for years, but it wasnt always that way. According to Nestle and Guttmacher (1992), the roots of present hunger policies in the United States reach back to the Great Depression of the 1930s, when unemployment, soup kitchens, and breadlines abounded and large quantities of surplus food were destroyed because

Policy Analysis Paper

the poor could not afford to buy it (p. 242). The destruction of such large quantities of food highlights how oblivious the nation was to its poor and its inability to provide food for themselves and their families. The Great Depression was turning point in anti-hunger policies and programs due to the formation of such programs as the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, How is the policy dictated? The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 is a combination federal, state and local statute. According to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, the Secretary is authorized to formulate and administer a supplemental nutrition assistance program under which, at the request of the State agency, eligible households within the State shall be provided an opportunity to obtain a more nutritious diet through the issuance to them of an allotment and, through an approved State plan, nutrition education, except that a State may not participate in the supplemental nutrition assistance program if the Secretary determines that State or local sales taxes are collected within that State on purchases of food made with benefits issued under this Act (p. 8). This means that a state cannot receive benefits for its citizens, unless it meets the guidelines of the federal government. Furthermore, the governmental structure of any given state and its local municipalities must follow strict rules in accordance to how taxes work in relationship to the benefits being administered. This does make it hard on how the benefits are dispersed. According to Wilde (2007), In 2005, the FSP (Food Stamp Program) spent $31 billion and served a monthly average of 25.7 million low-income Americans. To be eligible, most households must have a monthly gross income <130% of the federal poverty line ($2,097 for a family of 4), monthly net income after certain deductions less than the poverty line (1,613 for a family of 4), and countable assets below a specified value (p. 307). The guidelines for assistance in this

Policy Analysis Paper

country are strict, but one can only do what they can. Further explanation of these guidelines will appear later in the paper. The Policy: What does and doesnt work? The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, like any policy, has pros and cons. One facet of the policy that doesnt work is the poverty line. According to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, The income standards of eligibility shall be adjusted each October 1 and shall provide that a household shall be ineligible to participate in the supplemental nutrition assistance program if (1) the households income (after the exclusions and deductions provided for in subsections (d) and (e)) exceeds the poverty line, as defined in section 673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)), for the forty-eight contiguous States and the District of Columbia, Alaska, Hawaii, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and Guam, respectively; and (2) in the case of a household that does not include an elderly or disabled member, the households income (after the exclusions provided for in subsection (d) but before the deductions provided for in subsection (e)) exceeds such poverty line by more than 30 per centum (p. 11). This means that if a household is at or exceeds the poverty line, then that household cannot receive any assistance. The policy even attempts to provide some relief if a household member is elderly or disabled, but only if that individuals income meets or exceeds thirty percent. What the policy fails to take into consideration is that the poverty line is not an accurate level of income to sustain a quality way of life. For example, lets look at a family of five in the United States in the year 2013. According to Families USA (2013), the poverty line for that family of five is $27,570, and for each additional person, $4,020 is added. While $27,570 seems like a lot of money, its not when you have to support a family of five. The children could be infants or toddlers, and the cost to take care of such small children can be very costly, both financially and physically.

Policy Analysis Paper

According to Rose (1999), a reduction in food intake by children does not occur until after sacrifice by other members in the household and thus is indicative of the most severe form of hunger (5198). Another facet of the policy that does not work is the function of deductions. According to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, Except as provided in clause (ii), for the purposes of subsection (e), a State agency may elect to disregard until the next recertification of eligibility under section 11(e)(4) 1 or more types of changes in the circumstances of a household that affect the amount of deductions the household may claim under subsection (e) (p. 15). This means that a state agency can elect to deny deductions that an individual may qualify for including work, dependent care, third party help, etc. These deductions can help in determining how much aid a person can receive, which can help or hinder the individual and make things easier for themselves and their family. While there are a number of things that dont work with the policy, there are a number of things that do work. One facet that does work is exclusion from income. According to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, Household income for purposes of the supplemental nutrition assistance program shall include all income from whatever source excluding onlyall educational loans on which payment is deferred, grants, scholarships, fellowships, veterans educational benefits, and the like (A) awarded to a household member enrolled at a recognized institution of post-secondary education, at a school for the handicapped, in a vocational education program, or in a program that provides for completion of a secondary school diploma or obtaining the equivalent thereof (p. 16). The fact that they observe one getting an education as a good thing is helpful because they do not add an extra burden to the individual receiving benefits. The writers of the policy understand that the costs of going to school may not be coming out of pocket, but through various other methods. Therefore, those expenses wont

Policy Analysis Paper

prevent you from receiving benefits or decreased benefits, which can help sustain or improve the quality of the individuals household. This policy goes in many directions, but it does an adequate job in providing the services in intends to distribute. Amount of Support for Policy The policy has been in effect since October 1, 2008. I have exhausted numerous resources to find supporters of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, but was unable to locate exact names. While I cant find any specific supporters of the bill, amendments to improve the bill seem to have several republican supporters. These supporters include Dan Benishek of Michigan, Marlin Stutzman of Indiana and many others. The policy has support because it is the backbone of the food assistance program and helps many Americans every day. Work needs to be done to the policy, but the policy serves its purpose. Conclusion In conclusion, the issue of hunger in the United States is being handled, but its a far way from being perfect. The policies in place to combat this issue are strong and serve the public in the most efficient way possible. While there are issues with eligibility and duration of assistance, hopefully those issues can be addressed so individuals can maintain a healthy lifestyle and household. Hunger is a huge problem, but its not impossible to improve.

Policy Analysis Paper

References Edwards, M. E., Weber, B., & Bernell, S. (2007). Identifying factors that influence state-specific hunger rates in the U.S.: A simple analytic method for understanding a persistent problem. Social Indicators Research, 81(3), 579. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11205-006-0026-7 FamiliesUSA: 2013 Poverty Guidelines. (2013). http://www.familiesusa.org/resources/tools-foradvocates/guides/federal-poverty-guidelines.html Feeding America: Hunger and Poverty Statistics. (2013). http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-inamerica/hunger-facts/hunger-and-poverty-statistics.aspx#_edn1 Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. (2013) www.fns.usda.gov/snap/rules/legislation/pdfs/pl_110246.pdf Hunger in the united states: Policy implications. (1992). Nutrition Reviews, 50(8), 242. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/docview/212283610?accountid=14925 Klein, B. W. (1998). Could there be hunger in america? Family Economics and Nutrition Review, 11(4), 52-54. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/docview/219399334?accountid=14925 Rose, D. (1999). Economic determinants and dietary consequences of food insecurity in the United States. The Journal of Nutrition, 129(2), 517S-520S. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/docview/197442857?accountid=14925 SNAP. (2013). http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap

Policy Analysis Paper

TEFAP. (2013). http://www.fns.usda.gov/tefap/emergency-food-assistance-program-tefap WIC. (2013). http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic Wilde, P. E. (2007). Measuring the effect of food stamps on food insecurity and hunger: Research and policy Considerations1. The Journal of Nutrition, 137(2), 307-10. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/docview/197446636?accountid=14925