Food Stamp Cuts Could Have Ripple Effect In Miss.

A temporary increase in SNAP payments approved by Congress during the recession has expired and won’t be extended.

State officials say more than 660,000 SNAP recipients in the state will notice the cut starting this month.

Experts tell us for a family of three living in Mississippi, the reduction comes to $29 a month.

That doesn’t sounds like a lot, but it’s very important to struggling families, according to Marilyn Blackledge, of the Mississippi Food Network.

Blackledge says the food network is already gearing up to help fill the gap left by the cuts.

That includes holding more fundraisers, food drives and reaching out to corporate partners for more donations.

The food network, which feeds 175,000 each month, already supplies food to more than 400 food banks and pantries in 56 counties.

  Ed Sivak of the Mississippi Economic Policy Center says the cuts won’t just affect families struggling to make ends meet. 

More than 3,400 retail businesses across the state from Wal-Mart to Kroger, even convenience stores will take a hit in their bottom line.

Each month the state pays out more than $80 million in SNAP benefits.