LEXINGTON, Ky. — Many Kentuckians that receive benefits from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, are still struggling to cover the cost of food even after amounts were increased significantly because of the pandemic.

Sixteen percent of residents in rural areas use SNAP, more than small towns (15%) or urban areas (13%), according to the Food Research and Action Center. According to the report by The Daily Yonder, more than 40% of counties in America have a higher cost per meal than the program provides. A report by the Urban Institute shows that before the pandemic, the maximum SNAP benefit fell short of monthly food costs by an average of nearly $40 per person. 

“In 96% of counties, the top benefit could not pay for a modestly priced meal ($2.41) three times a day,” according to the report.

Even after the pandemic benefits bump, food costs exceed maximum SNAP benefits in 40.5% of counties. 

“In rural Leelanau County, Michigan, where the gap is the highest in the nation, the average modestly priced meal costs $3.90 more than SNAP provides, even after the temporary increase,” Olivia Weeks reported for The Daily Yonder. “Rural recreation counties such as Nevada County, California; Pacific County, Washington; Blaine County, Idaho; and Teton County, Wyoming, are among the Top 10 highest-gap counties. Only two of the 10 highest-gap counties are metropolitan.”

The report also shows some people argue that SNAP benefits are not meant to cover a family’s entire food budget, but about 40% of SNAP-eligible families have zero net income. As of July of 2021, more than 582,000 Kentuckians (13%) were enrolled in SNAP and receive more than $133 million in benefits, according to the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. In 98 of Kentucky’s 120 counties, the average cost per meal was more than the SNAP benefit per meal, which is $1.97, with the most significant gap being in Carter County, where the average cost per meal is $2.40. 

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, more than 70% of Kentucky’s SNAP participants are families with children, and 39% of those are working families. “Maggie” lives in rural Floyd County and asked that her real name not be used to protect her and her children’s identities. She is a working single mother of two children, boys ages 11 and 17, with a live-in boyfriend struggling to find work in economically distressed eastern Kentucky. She receives $342 per month in SNAP benefits, but often struggles to feed her four-person household. She also said her benefits had not kept pace with the rising cost of food.

“My SNAP doesn’t go very far, but it definitely helps,” she said. “I don’t want to think about how hard it would be without it.”

Maggie said her advice to anyone struggling with buying food is to shop smart and avoid unnecessary purchases. 

“Cooking at home is important,” she said. “Food can go a long way and last a long time if you just put some thought into it. Plan and figure out meals for the week, for two weeks or even the month. One good thing is I know how much money I’m going to get from SNAP every month, so that makes planning easier. I always have to use my money to cover the rest, especially around the holidays, but I don’t mind doing that, and I knew I would have to when I first signed up for SNAP. We are simply way better off with it than we would be without it, and I know that.”