As you may have heard, Gov. Tom Corbett plans to bar Pennsylvania families with modest savings from getting SNAP (food stamps) starting May 1.

Families with as little as $2,000 in savings ($3,250 for seniors and people with disabilities) would no longer qualify for benefits. Tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians would be cut from the program in this tough economy.

Speaking in terms of pure economic value, all this asset test would do is speed the depletion of those very important savings of low and no income people. And once that’s done, they will qualify for SNAP anyway so what will be be gained? This plan says, “The poor must get poorer before we help them,” and it will systematically drive those who cannot afford meals – before or after the asset test – deeper into poverty.

This test runs completely counter to the improvements made to the national welfare system in 1997 that specifically allowed people to keep more assets until their income grew. Financial limits only keep people in the welfare system. So why is this test even being considered?

Thank you for your support in the fight against hunger. For more information about SNAP and the asset test, please visit www.hungercoalition.org, click on SNAP Campaign on the menu bar and scroll down to the link to an article in the Patriot-News called This Test Is No Asset.