Virginia Poverty Law Center
@vplc.bsky.social
Seeking justice | Educating communities | Leading in advocacy. Since 1978.
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Virginians deserve reliable access to the health care AND food assistance they need. Virginians struggling to make ends meet will also feel the impact of expiring premium tax credits—which help lower monthly health plan costs—if Congress fails to take action to make them permanent.
Important updates for Virginia SNAP recipients:
November 10, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Important updates for Virginia SNAP recipients:
Reposted by Virginia Poverty Law Center
We estimate that USDA’s plan will result in a roughly 60% cut in average benefits. Because of how the SNAP benefit calculation works, USDA's plan to cut maximum benefits for each household size by 50% results in a deeper cut to average benefits—and a much deeper cut than needed.
November 5, 2025 at 4:40 PM
We estimate that USDA’s plan will result in a roughly 60% cut in average benefits. Because of how the SNAP benefit calculation works, USDA's plan to cut maximum benefits for each household size by 50% results in a deeper cut to average benefits—and a much deeper cut than needed.
Reposted by Virginia Poverty Law Center
New data: CBPP analyzed USDA’s contingency fund spending plan & found it is only going to release 2/3 of the funding they committed to in court filings, cutting families’ SNAP benefits far more than necessary, violating USDA’s own regulations & shortchanging millions of families.
November 5, 2025 at 4:40 PM
New data: CBPP analyzed USDA’s contingency fund spending plan & found it is only going to release 2/3 of the funding they committed to in court filings, cutting families’ SNAP benefits far more than necessary, violating USDA’s own regulations & shortchanging millions of families.
Reposted by Virginia Poverty Law Center
Families cannot afford further delays. The Administration must immediately release the contingency reserves and use their legal authority to transfer additional funds so families can get the full benefits they need to buy food as quickly as possible.
October 31, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Families cannot afford further delays. The Administration must immediately release the contingency reserves and use their legal authority to transfer additional funds so families can get the full benefits they need to buy food as quickly as possible.
Reposted by Virginia Poverty Law Center
Today’s rulings confirm what’s been clear all along: the Administration has been sitting on billions of available dollars that it is legally required to use to fund November benefits for the 1 in 8 Americans who need SNAP to afford their groceries.
October 31, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Today’s rulings confirm what’s been clear all along: the Administration has been sitting on billions of available dollars that it is legally required to use to fund November benefits for the 1 in 8 Americans who need SNAP to afford their groceries.
This Cardinal News report about the impact of federal uncertainty around SNAP benefits highlights the stories of Virginians who rely on the program to stretch their food budgets and put meals on the table for their families: cardinalnews.org/2025/10/31/v...
Virginia becomes first state to fund food assistance amid federal SNAP pause
What you need to know about how Virginia got here, where it’s going next and how the state’s most vulnerable populations are affected.
cardinalnews.org
October 31, 2025 at 8:07 PM
This Cardinal News report about the impact of federal uncertainty around SNAP benefits highlights the stories of Virginians who rely on the program to stretch their food budgets and put meals on the table for their families: cardinalnews.org/2025/10/31/v...
Virginia Fresh Match is offering a November Harvest Special to help SNAP households stretch their food budget next month. More details and participating locations: www.virginiafreshmatch.org/locate#harve...
October 30, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Virginia Fresh Match is offering a November Harvest Special to help SNAP households stretch their food budget next month. More details and participating locations: www.virginiafreshmatch.org/locate#harve...
Reposted by Virginia Poverty Law Center
The Trump Administration’s assertion that it can't use SNAP’s contingency reserves for SNAP benefits is contrary to:
▪️The plain language of the law
▪️Their own (now deleted) shutdown plan
▪️Guidance from prior Administrations
We have the receipts:
▪️The plain language of the law
▪️Their own (now deleted) shutdown plan
▪️Guidance from prior Administrations
We have the receipts:
SNAP’s Contingency Reserve Is Available for Regular SNAP Benefits, as USDA and OMB Have Ruled in Past
The Administration must use all available options to fund November benefits for the 1 in 8 people in the U.S. who need SNAP to afford their grocery bill.
www.cbpp.org
October 27, 2025 at 8:19 PM
The Trump Administration’s assertion that it can't use SNAP’s contingency reserves for SNAP benefits is contrary to:
▪️The plain language of the law
▪️Their own (now deleted) shutdown plan
▪️Guidance from prior Administrations
We have the receipts:
▪️The plain language of the law
▪️Their own (now deleted) shutdown plan
▪️Guidance from prior Administrations
We have the receipts:
Reposted by Virginia Poverty Law Center
Trump Administration Severely Limits Funding for Rural Hospitals and Clinics from Rural Health Transformation Fund – Capped at 15%
ccf.georgetown.edu/2025/10/21/t...
ccf.georgetown.edu/2025/10/21/t...
Trump Administration Severely Limits Rural Health Transformation Funds for Rural Hospitals and Clinics – Capped at 15%
Passage of the budget reconciliation law signed into law by President Trump (HR1) will result in a gross reduction of $990 billion in federal Medicaid and CHIP spending over 10 years and an increas…
ccf.georgetown.edu
October 21, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Trump Administration Severely Limits Funding for Rural Hospitals and Clinics from Rural Health Transformation Fund – Capped at 15%
ccf.georgetown.edu/2025/10/21/t...
ccf.georgetown.edu/2025/10/21/t...
Hunger is a policy choice. Georgetown Law professor David Super outlines in the blog post linked below why USDA's refusal to ensure SNAP families can put food on the table is also illegal:
I just updated my analysis of the Administration's abrupt about-face on the legality of continuing SNAP. A new post makes clear the motivation was all politics, not concern for the law.
Balkinization: The Administration’s Shutdown of SNAP is Obviously Illegal-Updated share.google/ejpB6zkBdk0C...
Balkinization: The Administration’s Shutdown of SNAP is Obviously Illegal-Updated share.google/ejpB6zkBdk0C...
The Administration’s Shutdown of SNAP is Obviously Illegal-Updated
On Friday, October 24, 2025, the Trump Administration suddenly released a memo claiming that it lacks the authority to spend contingen...
share.google
October 27, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Hunger is a policy choice. Georgetown Law professor David Super outlines in the blog post linked below why USDA's refusal to ensure SNAP families can put food on the table is also illegal:
The Western Center on Law & Poverty is collecting survey responses about hunger and SNAP from SNAP recipients nationwide to try to protect SNAP benefits during the government shutdown.
You can take the short survey here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
You can take the short survey here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Hunger and Food Insecurity Survey / Encuesta sobre el hambre y la inseguridad alimentaria
The Western Center on Law & Poverty is asking for your help. We are based in California, but are working to protect SNAP benefits for everyone. / El Western Center on Law & Poverty (una organización d...
docs.google.com
October 22, 2025 at 2:06 PM
The Western Center on Law & Poverty is collecting survey responses about hunger and SNAP from SNAP recipients nationwide to try to protect SNAP benefits during the government shutdown.
You can take the short survey here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
You can take the short survey here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
"Augusta Health has pointed to decreased revenues from Medicaid because of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act as one reason for the closings. The legislation restricts use of provider taxes and direct payments to help reimburse hospitals for treating patients under Medicaid."
With clinics closed, Churchville’s predicament could foreshadow things to come for more of rural Virginia: cardinalnews.org/2025/10/16/c...
With clinics closed, Churchville’s predicament could foreshadow things to come for more of rural Virginia
The tiny community of Churchville in western Augusta County no longer has a doctor’s office. Its clinic was one of three recently shuttered by Augusta Health.
cardinalnews.org
October 20, 2025 at 7:57 PM
"Augusta Health has pointed to decreased revenues from Medicaid because of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act as one reason for the closings. The legislation restricts use of provider taxes and direct payments to help reimburse hospitals for treating patients under Medicaid."
With clinics closed, Churchville’s predicament could foreshadow things to come for more of rural Virginia: cardinalnews.org/2025/10/16/c...
With clinics closed, Churchville’s predicament could foreshadow things to come for more of rural Virginia
The tiny community of Churchville in western Augusta County no longer has a doctor’s office. Its clinic was one of three recently shuttered by Augusta Health.
cardinalnews.org
October 20, 2025 at 7:56 PM
With clinics closed, Churchville’s predicament could foreshadow things to come for more of rural Virginia: cardinalnews.org/2025/10/16/c...
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service has warned states that, because of the federal shutdown, there may not be enough funding to provide a full month of November SNAP benefits. States have been told to hold their benefit files, creating uncertainty for millions of families.
October 17, 2025 at 5:32 PM
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service has warned states that, because of the federal shutdown, there may not be enough funding to provide a full month of November SNAP benefits. States have been told to hold their benefit files, creating uncertainty for millions of families.
Reposted by Virginia Poverty Law Center
This is NOT an end-of-year issue. Open enrollment runs Nov.1 – Jan.15 for most states and window shopping begins in October. If Congress waits until Dec.31, 1.5 million more people will be uninsured in 2026 compared to an earlier extension. (4/4)
tinyurl.com/mr2bhszc
tinyurl.com/mr2bhszc
9/16/25 ☀️ AM:
PRESENTED BY IN THIS EDITION Johnson’s tall tasks going into todaySenate may skip the NDAA againThe Vault: Why Dems want Obamacare deal nowJeffries silent
tinyurl.com
October 9, 2025 at 1:39 PM
This is NOT an end-of-year issue. Open enrollment runs Nov.1 – Jan.15 for most states and window shopping begins in October. If Congress waits until Dec.31, 1.5 million more people will be uninsured in 2026 compared to an earlier extension. (4/4)
tinyurl.com/mr2bhszc
tinyurl.com/mr2bhszc
Reposted by Virginia Poverty Law Center
Virginia’s 2026 ACA marketplace window shopping is underway, meaning people are already seeing next year’s premiums spike because of expiring tax credit enhancements. A typical 60-year-old couple making $85,000 in Virginia will face a $18,000 increase in annual premiums. (1/4)
October 9, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Virginia’s 2026 ACA marketplace window shopping is underway, meaning people are already seeing next year’s premiums spike because of expiring tax credit enhancements. A typical 60-year-old couple making $85,000 in Virginia will face a $18,000 increase in annual premiums. (1/4)
Join us in Blacksburg, Oct 20th. Free! register here: bit.ly/SWVACandidat...
October 7, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Join us in Blacksburg, Oct 20th. Free! register here: bit.ly/SWVACandidat...
Reposted by Virginia Poverty Law Center
The report out of @vplc.bsky.social and the RVA Eviction Lab is so important. "In 2024, judges awarded nearly $18 million in fees to landlord attorneys in residential eviction cases across Virginia, a 48% increase from 2019, even as eviction judgments fell 19%" rvaevictionlab.org/2025/09/27/u...
October 1, 2025 at 3:04 PM
The report out of @vplc.bsky.social and the RVA Eviction Lab is so important. "In 2024, judges awarded nearly $18 million in fees to landlord attorneys in residential eviction cases across Virginia, a 48% increase from 2019, even as eviction judgments fell 19%" rvaevictionlab.org/2025/09/27/u...
Reposted by Virginia Poverty Law Center
A new report by @vplc.bsky.social and the RVA Eviction Lab looks at attorney fees in eviction cases:
In 2024 in VA, judges awarded nearly $18 million in fees to landlord attorneys, a 48% increase from 2019, even as eviction judgments fell 19%.
rvaevictionlab.org/2025/09/27/u...
In 2024 in VA, judges awarded nearly $18 million in fees to landlord attorneys, a 48% increase from 2019, even as eviction judgments fell 19%.
rvaevictionlab.org/2025/09/27/u...
Unreasonable: Report from Virginia Poverty Law Center and RVA Eviction Lab
Unreasonable: The Dramatic Rise in Attorney Fees Charged to Tenantsin Virginia Residential Eviction Proceedings is a report from the Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC) and the RVA Eviction Lab. In …
rvaevictionlab.org
September 29, 2025 at 1:33 PM
A new report by @vplc.bsky.social and the RVA Eviction Lab looks at attorney fees in eviction cases:
In 2024 in VA, judges awarded nearly $18 million in fees to landlord attorneys, a 48% increase from 2019, even as eviction judgments fell 19%.
rvaevictionlab.org/2025/09/27/u...
In 2024 in VA, judges awarded nearly $18 million in fees to landlord attorneys, a 48% increase from 2019, even as eviction judgments fell 19%.
rvaevictionlab.org/2025/09/27/u...
Tune in to our Richmond-area Candidate Forum on Facebook Live!
Our Candidate Forum is this week! Will we see you there?
Register ➡️ bit.ly/CandidateForum2025
Register ➡️ bit.ly/CandidateForum2025
September 25, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Tune in to our Richmond-area Candidate Forum on Facebook Live!
According to federal data, 42% of Virginia renters are rent burdened and pay more than 30% of their income on rent. www.wvtf.org/news/2025-09...
Federal data shows many Virginians are "rent burdened"
Anyone who spends more than 30% of their income on rent is "rent-burdened," a category of people that is surprisingly high in Virginia.
www.wvtf.org
September 24, 2025 at 8:34 PM
According to federal data, 42% of Virginia renters are rent burdened and pay more than 30% of their income on rent. www.wvtf.org/news/2025-09...
"But unless Congress acts by Sept. 30, those tax credits will expire at the end of the year. The consequences for Virginia will be devastating—soaring premiums, lost coverage, rising medical debt and ripple effects that will drag down our entire economy." www.pilotonline.com/2025/09/20/c...
Column: Expiration of EPTCs would raise health care costs for Virginians
Health care costs in Virginia would skyrocket if Congress fails to extend tax credits set to expire on Sept. 30, Dr. Mack Bonner and Alex Cole write in a guest column.
www.pilotonline.com
September 23, 2025 at 7:25 PM
"But unless Congress acts by Sept. 30, those tax credits will expire at the end of the year. The consequences for Virginia will be devastating—soaring premiums, lost coverage, rising medical debt and ripple effects that will drag down our entire economy." www.pilotonline.com/2025/09/20/c...
Our Candidate Forum is this week! Will we see you there?
Register ➡️ bit.ly/CandidateForum2025
Register ➡️ bit.ly/CandidateForum2025
September 22, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Our Candidate Forum is this week! Will we see you there?
Register ➡️ bit.ly/CandidateForum2025
Register ➡️ bit.ly/CandidateForum2025
Do you know someone who receives SSI benefits in the mail? They'll need to take action before the end of this month to avoid having their monthly payments withheld. More info:
September 10, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Do you know someone who receives SSI benefits in the mail? They'll need to take action before the end of this month to avoid having their monthly payments withheld. More info:
September is Hunger Action Month. Use this tool from Food Research & Action Center to contact your federal representatives and urge them to take immediate action to reverse harmful SNAP cuts: secure.everyaction.com/xf5JzY9MDEGu...
URGENT ACTION ALERT: Congress Must Take Immediate Action to Reverse Harmful SNAP Cuts
secure.everyaction.com
September 9, 2025 at 4:34 PM
September is Hunger Action Month. Use this tool from Food Research & Action Center to contact your federal representatives and urge them to take immediate action to reverse harmful SNAP cuts: secure.everyaction.com/xf5JzY9MDEGu...