Cuts will hurt us all
Connecticut can’t thrive if people go to bed hungry, put off paying bills so they can buy food, skip their medications, and can’t afford to go to the doctor.
About 400,000 people in our state use SNAP – also known as food stamps – to put food on the table, and more than 900,000 use HUSKY to pay for medications and get medical care. But, unless our state takes action, up to 200,000 people could lose HUSKY because of looming federal cuts, and it’s not yet clear how many could lose SNAP.
Losing these crucial services will hurt everyone in Connecticut, whether they have SNAP or HUSKY or not. Cuts to HUSKY and SNAP could cost Connecticut more than 9,000 jobs, weaken our economy by more than $1.5 billion, and threaten our hospitals, farms, and grocery stores.
We’ve been talking with people across our state about how the federal cuts will hurt their communities. Connecticut residents who have never used HUSKY and SNAP have stressed how important services are to keep their communities strong.
A Stamford resident told us they use HUSKY to access their diabetes medication. They haven’t used SNAP, but see how important it is in their community.
“It gives people the chance to have food on their table without having to struggle so hard for it due to jobs not paying a livable wage, having disability, or anything of that sort,” they told us.
Mindy, a physical therapist who lives in Cheshire, treats patients who use HUSKY.
“Without this help, none of them would receive the care they need to recover from injuries, surgery, or medical complications causing physical impairments,” she said.
She remembers when people didn’t have access to HUSKY – and how their health suffered because of it.
“Now, we are able to help people so they can return to work, care for their families without pain,” she told us. “Not having access to HUSKY will cause more people to be out of work, at higher risk for homelessness, and cause more visits to the ERs, in the end costing the state of Connecticut more than providing HUSKY benefits.”
In Norwalk, a woman stressed the importance of assuring everyone has food.
“SNAP is important because it is the largest anti-hunger program in the U.S., significantly reducing food insecurity and poverty by providing millions of low-income individuals and families with the means to buy nutritious food, thereby improving health outcomes and fostering long-term economic benefits,” she told us. “The program supports low-wage workers, seniors, and people with disabilities by ensuring they can afford a healthy diet, which in turn allows them to spend more on other essential needs and contribute to the economy.”
It is still not clear when cuts and changes to SNAP and HUSKY will happen, because the state has not received a timeline from the federal government. The Connecticut Department of Social Services is tracking changes to HUSKY and SNAP and when they will happen. If you are currently using HUSKY or SNAP, you should still receive your benefits until you hear otherwise.
You can make your voice heard by sharing your story with us about why HUSKY and SNAP are important to you.
“Everyone deserves access to healthcare or food stamps, and it is life-saving for those who live paycheck to paycheck, and especially to people with lifelong disabilities that require you to be on medication for the rest of your life,” a Stamford resident told us.
In Connecticut, we care for each other. But we can’t have thriving communities if our neighbors lose their healthcare and access to food. Our lawmakers must step in to protect the hundreds of thousands of people who use services to get by.
Whether you have HUSKY or SNAP or not, your lawmakers need to hear from you. Take action now to fight for HUSKY and SNAP.