Why is Nap to Snap important for Puerto Rico?
By Angélica Negrón, NHCSL Intern
Download the 2024 Fall Edition of NHCSL's Newsletter here.
Since the mid 1990’s, Puerto Rico has experienced a tumultuous economic history, with a sharp decline that started in 2006 and a vulnerability that has only deepened over time. The island’s economic crisis was exacerbated by natural disasters in 2017 and 2020, and compounded by the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Together, these circumstances have intensified the already-critical issue of food insecurity. According to a 2019 study by the Statistics Institute of Puerto Rico, 33% of the adult population faced food insecurity. Furthermore, individuals earning less than $25,000 annually are 3.3 times more likely to experience food insecurity than those with higher incomes.
In 2021, 43% of Puerto Rico’s population lived below the federal poverty level, compared to just 12.6% of the U.S. population. Despite the growing need for support, Puerto Rico does not have access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Instead, it relies on the Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP), which is a block grant with capped funding because of Puerto Rico’s territorial status.
The funding structure for NAP differs from that of SNAP: while SNAP adjusts its formula regularly based on new Census data, NAP’s formula used for the Island has remained static since its inception. In FY2021, NAP’s core funding was about $2 billion, supporting 1.5 million low-income individuals, with additional temporary funds provided after Hurricane María and during the 2020 pandemic. Currently, the block grant stands at $2.9 billion, due to federal adjustments in the Thrifty Food Plan, which affects SNAP benefits. However, NAP’s capped funding leads to stricter eligibility requirements and lower monthly benefits compared to SNAP.
The USDA estimates that Puerto Rico would receive at least $1 billion in addition nutritional assistance if it were included in SNAP. These benefits are based on federal guidelines that provide states with the flexibility to adjust certain deductions when calculating net income. This ensures participants receive benefits based on need, regardless of the number of recipients. In contrast, NAP’s limited funds mean benefits are determined by available funding rather than food needs, leading to less coverage for less eligible participants. Moreover, NAP does not provide access to emergency benefits like Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP) after natural disasters, nor does it offer the same programs available to states and other U.S. territories like Washington D.C., Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. After Hurricane María, the additional aid for Puerto Rico approved by Congress was an inhumane process that took six months, while other territories received emergency aid within weeks.
Moreover, NAP creates a "poverty trap," where individuals are discouraged from working because earning above the net income limit results in the loss of benefits. This, in turn, promotes a state of perpetual poverty and a low workforce participation rate. In contrast, SNAP’s gradual phase-out system allows individuals to keep receiving nutrition assistance as they start earning more, making it easier for them to work and support their families.
SNAP would provide an opportunity for people on the Island to work and improve their quality of life. Including Puerto Rico would help participants to also afford transportation, childcare, and other work-related costs.
Let’s remind everyone that Puerto Ricans are Americans and deserve the same nutritional assistance other Americans get, regardless of where they live. Puerto Rico needs SNAP now. It’s a moral imperative.