Contact your State Legislators to Prevent Cuts to HIP!

The state-funded Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) helps people on fixed or low incomes who use SNAP (the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) buy nutritious vegetables and fruit from local farmers at participating farmer’s markets, mobile markets, farm stands, and CSAs. HIP puts money back on their EBT card when using SNAP to buy healthy, local fruits and vegetables from HIP farm vendors, up to a monthly limit. HIP also brings critical economic support to our local farmers by increasing demand for their produce and providing a steady source of revenue to our farming community.

In FY24, HIP was funded at $25 million, but in FY25, HIP was reduced to $15 million, leaving a $10 million shortfall.

The current breakdown of eligible households and the monthly cap for HIP benefits in Massachusetts is:

• 81% of HIP households are 1-2 people with a monthly cap of $40.
• 17% of HIP households are 3-5 people with a monthly cap of $60.
• 1% of HIP households are over 6 people with a monthly cap of $80.

As a result of the FY25 decrease in funding, the existing tiered monthly cap based on household size will change to a standard $20.00 limit per household, regardless of how many people reside in the household.

Below is a picture of a $20 bag of local fresh produce compared to a $40 bag of produce:

This change will negatively impact:

• People with chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension,
• Seniors and veterans reliant on Social Security and SNAP trying to eat nutritional food,
• Children lacking access to nutritious fruits and vegetables, and
• Small farmers selling their produce through CSAs, farm stands, and farmers’ markets.

According to the Greater Boston Food Bank’s “2024 Food Equity and Access in Massachusetts” report, food insecurity rates are still as high in 2024 as during the height of the pandemic (over 48% in Bristol County and 36% in Plymouth County). These changes are scheduled to go into effect on December 1, 2024, right before the holidays and winter months, which will be particularly hard on families.

Contact your State Representative, Senator, and Governor Healey, and urge them to add $10 million to HIP (line item 4400-1004) in the FY25 supplemental budget to avoid this detrimental change.

Need more info? Email sfpc@marioninstitute.org or call 508-748-0816 x110.