MARGARET’S STORY

Margaret R. is a 75-year-old retiree who relies on a small amount of SNAP benefits to go a long way. She lives in a small house, which has become increasingly expensive to maintain. 

In July 2025, Margaret got approved for SNAP benefits, initially at $14 a month, and then later increased to $24. She stretched her benefits by shopping at local grocers and farmers’ markets, where she used the Double Up Food Bucks program to access foods she otherwise could not afford without SNAP. Double Up Food Bucks lets select groceries and markets match your SNAP dollars, giving you twice as much in fruits and veggies. 

From just under $500 to more than $700 per month, Margaret’s mortgage payment rose as her property taxes saw a steep increase. As a result, her mortgage now takes more than half of her income. “I live in a little, little tiny house that I can’t afford to keep up,” Margaret shared with me. “It’s almost impossible for me to calm down and be serene on a daily basis because I’m just always worrying.”

Amid those rising housing expenses and a year after getting approved for SNAP, Margaret lost her benefits. “I had everything turned in July 2. And then it didn’t show up in August,” Margaret shared about her benefits. 

Margaret is living in “survival mode” most days. Without her benefits, she can no longer stretch her dollars at farmers’ markets and grocers, and she can no longer afford the foods that matter for her health. She’s been relying on food banks to get her through until her Social Security payments arrive. “I’ve been to a couple of different food banks, and I do pretty well there,” she said. “I get a few fresh things there, but I have noticed that my health kind of suffers.”

Despite many attempts to contact DCF, Margaret still hadn’t reached them at the time of this interview in early September.