The Food Bank lobbies to Close the SNAP Gap for low-income households

Rep. Dan Carey with The Food Bank's advocacy team

Rep. Dan Carey (center) with The Food Bank’s advocacy team

Last week, our advocacy team took part in the Close the SNAP Gap Lobby Day at the State House. The SNAP Gap refers to the 700,000 MassHealth recipients who are likely eligible for SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) but are not receiving this crucial benefit.

Before meeting with legislators and legislative aides, advocates and concerned citizens from around the state took part in an orientation event. There, individuals who receive SNAP and MassHealth shared personal stories of being unaware that they qualified for both programs at critical times in their lives. They also discussed their difficulties navigating through difficult and redundant application processes. Advocates and lawmakers explained why it’s so crucial to push for a common application for MassHealth and SNAP, so that low-income families and individuals won’t need to deal with added paper work while in economic crisis.

“We believe that an innovation like a common application portal would make a huge difference in the lives of many people who are struggling,” Christina Maxwell, director of programs at The Food Bank states. “We were happy to visit with several of our legislators, many of whom are very much in favor of implementing this change.”

See photos from the Close the SNAP Gap Lobby Day and learn more.