I think the point was that the savings amount you can have, aka 'all your assets' is a ridiculously low amount. Think of tax refunds. I'd rather a family live frugally and put that into savings rather than go on a spending spree to keep qualifying. It takes a long time to get back on to SNAP, versus how long it takes to get kicked off.
I've never gotten SNAP, but I've had Medi-Cal for pregnancy. All assets were supposed to be under $2k. I'm sure some people are looking at that number and rolling their eyes. Well, here, in the Bay Area, 2k is very little. In fact, if your assets are too much (and for Medi-Cal they can count cars) you go on to Medi-cal share of cost. You know what they expect a single pregnant woman to live on each month? $600. Anything over that amount, you pay as your 'share' of cost.
For a family of four? $1100 a month. Mind you, here in the bay area, studios go for $600 rock bottom price. And no one will rent a studio to a family of 4.
Right now, we are renting a house with family members and we are all splitting the cost. It's me, dh, ds and soon to be baby in ONE room. Rent & utilities will average $650. It makes me mad that being so frugal, doing without and barely building up some savings is now making it so that we are probably going to pay 'share of cost' Medi-Cal. But we can't afford it. The only way is through 1) depleting any cushion we have, which, with $1100 a month 'allocated' to us, will be fast, since we do need to you know, eat, pay for insurance, gas, etc. Then, the only way to get by is to go on WIC and SNAP. Rice and beans is fine, but I'm not willing to eat 3rd world poverty portions while pregnant. Sad part? Dh is working 80hrs a week to put us in a better position, financially (aka no need for social programs) but this is really going to be a catch-22. Why work so hard for nothing? There's no realistic number crunching. It helps if families can save enough to have a cushion. Because with a cushion, it's easier to get off.
Oh, and those numbers for how much a family 'needs'? I looked it up. It was decided in 1989. 21years later, the amounts haven't changed. How does that help anyone???
Ami