Montana Public Radio

SNAP

Health Department Closes Some Offices, Moves To Online Service

By • 5 hours ago
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services

The Montana state health department is closing some public services offices Friday to limit face to-face interaction amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Applications for safety-net services like SNAP food assistance, TANF cash assistance and health care coverage can be done online, phone, fax or mail.

Fewer U.S. Households Are Going Hungry. But Cuts In Food Aid Loom

By Pam Fessler • Sep 4, 2019

Millions of families in the U.S. struggled to get enough food to eat last year, but conditions appear to be getting better as the economy improves.

In a new report released Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says that about 11 percent of households — just over 14 million — had trouble putting enough food on the table last year and that in about 4 percent of households, someone went hungry because there was not enough money to buy food.

February SNAP Benefits Coming Early Due To Government Shutdown

By • Jan 15, 2019
A woman grocery shopping.
iStock

Montana is issuing February’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments a couple of weeks early due to the ongoing partial government shutdown.

The state Department of Public Health and Human Services typically issues SNAP benefits to 117,000 recipients during the first week of every month.

2018 Farm Bill Passes With Support From Montana's Reps

By • Dec 12, 2018
Farm field. File photo.
thinkreaction / iStock

Senator Steve Daines called the 2018 Farm Bill a win for Montana on a press call Wednesday morning.

"Agriculture is our number one economic driver in Montana," Daines said. "The important outcome of passing the Farm Bill is that it provides certainty for Montana farmers and Montana ranchers in difficult times."

Flathead Farmers Worry About SNAP Changes In Farm Bill

By • Sep 5, 2018
Farmers Market.

Wednesday a joint U.S. House and Senate committee began a potentially week-long process of reconciling two versions of the Farm Bill. The current bill expires at the end of this month.

Small farm owners in the Flathead Valley worry one version could severely impact SNAP benefits in Montana.

Montana's Reps Like Farm Bill, Divided On Food Stamp Work Requirement

By Eric Whitney & Jackie Yamanaka • Jun 26, 2018
Irrigation sprinklers.

The Senate has started debating its version of the Farm Bill, and both of Montana’s Senators, Jon Tester and Steve Daines, say their chamber’s version of the Farm Bill is good news for Montana farmers and ranchers. But they disagree on at least one important aspect of it.

First, Yellowstone Public Radio's Jackie Yamanaka reports on what they agree on.

Ag Secretary Calls For SNAP, Farm Subsidy Reforms

By Eric Whitney • Jun 1, 2017
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue speaks during an agriculture conference in Great Falls, MT, June 1, 2017.
Courtesy @SecretarySunny Twitter feed

New U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue spoke in Great Falls Thursday. Perdue suggested reforms for a couple of big safety net programs important to farmers.

Perdue has only been on the job as ag secretary since the end of April, and part of his job is to help President Trump push forward a budget that calls for big cuts in the Department of Agriculture.