Pennsylvania’s SNAP Benefits Larger Families Receive More Support – Size Matters!

Single Parent’s SNAP Benefits Mysteriously Slashed After Family Size Change

Drastic Reduction in Aid: Michael Wentling’s SNAP Benefits Vanish Despite Family Adjustments

A Cumberland County single parent on disability, Michael Wentling’s monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were mysteriously reduced after one of his three daughters moved out, leaving his family with three people instead of four. A smaller family would naturally receive less help, but the drastic reduction in aid appeared out of place. According to letters from Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services (DHS), Wentling discovered that his payments fell from $177 to $0, even after controlling for every possible possibility. The information that an online benefits calculator indicated a family of two with comparable income and costs would receive $23 monthly—more than the zero aid Wentling was receiving—was even more perplexing.

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Pennsylvania’s SNAP Benefits Larger Families Receive More Support – Size Matters!(PHOTO: Getty Images)

Puzzling SNAP Regulation: Three-Person Families Receive Less Aid Than Smaller Ones in Pennsylvania

Upon further investigation, it became apparent that the discrepancy in SNAP benefits stemmed from a peculiar quirk in the program’s regulations. Despite Pennsylvania’s relatively generous SNAP eligibility criteria, which allows for eligibility up to 200% of the federal poverty limits, some households, like Wentling’s three-person family, were paradoxically receiving less assistance than smaller households with similar income levels. This anomaly was confirmed by a DHS memo, which acknowledged the possibility of a three-person household receiving less assistance than a two-person household. While the exact reasons for this discrepancy remain unclear, it underscores the complexities and inconsistencies within the SNAP program’s eligibility and benefit determination process.

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