SNAP Recipients Struggle With Application

While many Americans qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, not everyone is making use of it. Many report stress and anxiety while filling out the application, and a new study revealed some Americans are much more likely to find trouble completing the forms.

SNAP, also known as food stamps, offers money to low-income Americans they can then use to buy food at the grocery store. The exact amount varies based on income level and family size, but many families are reporting trouble even getting through the SNAP application.

According to a new report from the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, applying for SNAP is significantly more stressful among Hispanic and Black applicants. Both Hispanic and Black Americans were significantly more likely to report stress during the process than white Americans.

Across the larger sample, more than 35 percent of those who responded said the SNAP application process was stressful.

"Americans of color, including Hispanic and Black applicants to SNAP, may also be more likely to encounter bias in their encounters with program staff," Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, visiting fellow at The Washington Center for Equitable Growth, told Newsweek.

Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, said many parts of the country facing food insecurity aren't accessing the SNAP benefits they should due to the barriers facing minority groups.

"SNAP applications are notorious for being seen as both complicated and cumbersome by applicants for years now," Beene told Newsweek. "This confusing process has made access to benefits difficult, specifically for [Black] and Hispanic applicants who often deal with language barriers and structural challenges in their area."

Changing the application process to better accommodate these populations is necessary as access to nutritious foods "hangs in the balance," Beene said.

"While other societal structures will take time to change, the application for program entry is the easiest place to start toward an easier sign-up system."

For many, a key issue in accessing the SNAP application is lack of high-speed internet.

According to National Urban League's latest data, 31 percent of Latino families do not have access to high-speed internet and 17 percent don't have a computer. The same statistics are roughly true for Black communities.

"This is a startling revelation and could be a huge issue with applying for the SNAP program," Kevin Thompson, finance expert and the founder and CEO of 9i Capital Group, told Newsweek. "Applicants may find the process a bit overbearing and do not have all the information readily available to provide."

For those Americans who are SNAP eligible but lack internet and transportation to libraries, which offer computer access for free, there often are few options available, even when the money is desperately needed for grocery shopping.

"The larger implication is providing access to the internet for lower-income communities," Thompson said. "Until that is resolved, the issue will persist, and the divide will grow larger."