Effect of the Reevaluated Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) and Emergency Allotments on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits and Poverty

Increases to the maximum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit, coupled with pandemic-related emergency allotments, kept nearly 6.5 million people out of poverty in the fourth quarter.

The Issue

SNAP is the nutritional cornerstone of the nation’s safety net, providing monthly benefits to help millions of people in America to purchase food. A recent reevaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) increased the maximum SNAP benefit 21 percent, and temporary “emergency allotments” during the COVID-19 pandemic provided additional support to SNAP beneficiaries in participating states.

Key Findings

• An increase in SNAP benefits from the reevaluated TFP kept nearly 2.3 million people out of poverty in the fourth quarter of 2021.
  • Overall poverty fell by 4.7 percent and child poverty fell by 8.6 percent.
• Emergency allotments kept 4.2 million additional people out of poverty in the fourth quarter of 2021.
  • Overall poverty fell by 9.6 percent in these states, and child poverty fell by 14 percent.        
• The greatest reductions in poverty were among Black, non-Hispanic people and Hispanic people.

Conclusion

The additional SNAP benefits from the reevaluated TFP and emergency allotments each substantially reduce poverty levels, especially among children and historically marginalized groups. Researchers conclude both measures are powerful tools to reduce overall poverty and address differences in poverty rates that arise from broader structural and historic factors.

About the Urban Institute

The nonprofit Urban Institute is dedicated to elevating the debate on social and economic policy. For nearly five decades, Urban scholars have conducted research and offered evidence-based solutions that improve lives and strengthen communities across a rapidly urbanizing world. Their objective research helps expand opportunities for all, reduce hardship among the most vulnerable, and strengthen the effectiveness of the public sector. Visit the Urban Institute’s Health Policy Center for more information specific to its staff and its recent research.