Posted on 08/30/23
| News Source: Newsmax
Inflation is wreaking the most havoc on Americans at or below the poverty line, with many using credit cards to buy food, falling behind on rent and struggling to pay utility bills, Bloomberg reports.
Among those who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), 42% skipped meals in August and 55% ate less because they could not afford to buy food—double the percentages from last year, according to benefits software firm Propel Inc.
For households consisting of just one individual, the poverty line is $14,580 in annual income. For a household of four, it’s $30,000.
An increasing number of lower-income households had their utilities shut off in July, or were about to, as they could not afford the prior month’s utility bill or rent.
Two-thirds of those using SNAP were carrying some form of debt, suggesting that many could be using credit cards to buy groceries.
“We’ve seen a lot of cutbacks in safety net benefits this year, and we’re seeing the impact” of those budget cuts, said Justin King, Propel’s policy director.
Indeed, as social support programs that were expanded during the pandemic have been eliminated or reduced, lower-income household finances are suffering, and their confidence is falling right along with these economic hardships, the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse survey Tuesday showed.