COLUMN: Devil in the math!

If you don’t know anyone that has received SNAP, you’re lucky. It isn’t anything that is normally shared or announced publicly. Many Iowans, especially those who haven’t participated or had a family member in a assistance program are judgy of those who do. The judgy group include Gov. Kim Reynolds, current majority party in Iowa and too many professing to be church people.

Often, participating individuals or families who do are deemed lazy, “don’t work” or make bad choices. Perhaps it’s time to add a little data and compassion before judging. Isn’t there something in the Bible about “judge not or be judged”?

According to federal (HHS) websites, SNAP eligibility is determined by family size and gross (before deductions) family income. Annual income cannot exceed 130% of poverty level. Qualifying for SNAP means gross annual income for 1 person cannot exceed $20,345 (poverty level of $15,060); 2 people $27,495 ($20,440); 3 people $34,645 ($25,820); and 4 people $41,795 ($32,660) and on up as family size increases.

Here’s a story problem about income and SNAP eligibility. The minimum wage in Iowa is $7.25. Someone working 40 hours/week for minimum wage makes $290/week. If that person works 52 weeks/year (2080 hrs.) the annual income is $15,080.

Poverty level salary for one person at $15,060. The gross income of an individual working a full-time minimum wage job for 52 weeks earns $20 more than poverty level. Wow! Working full-time at minimum wage.

Let’s continue that story problem based on a family of four. Poverty level for a family of four is $32,150. Theoretically, a family with two children and both parents working full-time minimum wage jobs at 40 hour/week, 52 weeks/year would earn gross salaries of $30,160 or $1,990 below poverty level.

The gross salaries of those two people fall $11,635 short of the annual income level for SNAP eligibility. Remember. Gross salary, not take-home salary.

FYI - a single person making $9.75/hour, working full-time, 52 week/year, would still qualify for SNAP. A person working full-time making $10/hour makes $20,800; or earning $15/hour, annual income is $31,200. Darn math problems. Not exactly a luxury lifestyle.

How does anyone afford rent, groceries, daycare and insurance on a full-time minimum wage salary? Of course, minimum wage earners and many families working hourly jobs need SNAP, free and reduced lunches for their kids and help feeding those kids during the summer when they aren’t in school getting free lunch.

For two years, Governor Reynolds refused to utilize a federal program to provide a monthly cost of $40 of food for a child during June, July and August to help SNAP-eligible families. The program was easy. Qualified SNAP families with children had the extra money added to their EBT card for the summer months.

Food could be purchased at local grocery stores or farmers’ markets. Her rationale for not using the federal program stated families wouldn’t buy healthy food and Iowa children were obese. News flash — healthy foods cost more.

This year, Governor Reynolds received a two-year waiver from the federal program and decided to distribute a monthly box of food for eligible kids. Sounds good in theory. Unfortunately, it was a mess for local food pantries designated as distribution locations.

The food boxes were assembled in Des Moines and sent to one distribution location per county. The boxes included good food; however, each eligible child in a family received a box of food. If a family with multiple children are living on low-paying jobs, where do they store monthly food needing refrigeration or a freezer? Food was wasted.

Distribution was a problem. I’ve talked with Page and Montgomery County distribution sites. The volunteer staff was given little notice that trucks of food would be arriving on the same day as other mobile food deliveries.

Food could not be mingled and required more volunteers. The distribution time was mid-afternoon when parents were working and located as much as 20 or more miles from homes.

According to a Des Moines Register article published on August 10, 35,000 children received “Healthy Kids Iowa” boxes in June. 240,000 children were eligible. That’s not a very good statistic for use of a program that Gov. Reynolds bragged about nationally.

Was two years of refusal due to who was President? What data was used to develop the “Healthy Kids Iowa” program. Were local food pantries contacted in advance and given adequate instruction?

So many questions. The devil is in the detail and the math!