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.
Thank you Senator @aaronrouse.bsky.social for introducing this bill to give tenants more time to pay late rent before being evicted. This will help tenants, landlords, the courts, and Virginia's economy. Win-win! www.wric.com/news/politic...
www.wric.com
December 9, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Thank you Senator @aaronrouse.bsky.social for introducing this bill to give tenants more time to pay late rent before being evicted. This will help tenants, landlords, the courts, and Virginia's economy. Win-win! www.wric.com/news/politic...
VPLC is so proud of the great work from the attorneys at the Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia—who won this battle for tenant rights that shouldn't need to be fought for repeatedly, as LASEV attorney Brandon Ballard notes: www.linkedin.com/posts/legala...
COURT SIDES WITH LEGALLY BLIND PUBLIC HOUSING TENANT IN HOUSING DISCRIMINATION CASE AGAINST NORFOLK REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
NORFOLK, VA - A federal judge ruled in favor of a legally… | Le...
COURT SIDES WITH LEGALLY BLIND PUBLIC HOUSING TENANT IN HOUSING DISCRIMINATION CASE AGAINST NORFOLK REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
NORFOLK, VA - A federal judge ruled in favor of a legally blind...
www.linkedin.com
December 9, 2025 at 8:08 PM
VPLC is so proud of the great work from the attorneys at the Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia—who won this battle for tenant rights that shouldn't need to be fought for repeatedly, as LASEV attorney Brandon Ballard notes: www.linkedin.com/posts/legala...
Cardinal News interviewed Marketplace shoppers and an Enroll Virginia navigator in this piece about rising health insurance premiums. If Congress doesn't extend enhanced premium tax credits, Virginia families will have to keep making tough decisions about coverage.
cardinalnews.org/2025/11/26/v...
cardinalnews.org/2025/11/26/v...
Virginians on health insurance marketplace see monthly premiums rise to ‘astonishing’ levels
Small-business owners, middle-income families and older adults will be the hardest hit by the end of enhanced premium tax credits.
cardinalnews.org
December 4, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Cardinal News interviewed Marketplace shoppers and an Enroll Virginia navigator in this piece about rising health insurance premiums. If Congress doesn't extend enhanced premium tax credits, Virginia families will have to keep making tough decisions about coverage.
cardinalnews.org/2025/11/26/v...
cardinalnews.org/2025/11/26/v...
"Down the line, the result of all this change could be that states pare back the food program and that older adults find themselves without needed assistance." www.aarp.org/advocacy/sna...
SNAP Work Rules Strain Older Adults and State Systems
State agencies are scrambling to avoid costly penalties and track an influx of paperwork
www.aarp.org
December 3, 2025 at 9:06 PM
"Down the line, the result of all this change could be that states pare back the food program and that older adults find themselves without needed assistance." www.aarp.org/advocacy/sna...
Take action today to urge your members of Congress to reverse the harmful SNAP cuts passed earlier this year and protect the vital hunger-fighting program: bit.ly/4puqk4G
URGENT ACTION ALERT: Congress Must Act Quickly to Restore Harmful SNAP Cuts
click.everyaction.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Take action today to urge your members of Congress to reverse the harmful SNAP cuts passed earlier this year and protect the vital hunger-fighting program: bit.ly/4puqk4G
VPLC has long worked to ensure youth in foster care can get the support they need to be successful as they transition to adulthood—so we welcome the President's initiative to improve services and connections to young people aging out of care. But we echo Rev. Starsky Wilson, president of the (1/2)
November 20, 2025 at 6:51 PM
VPLC has long worked to ensure youth in foster care can get the support they need to be successful as they transition to adulthood—so we welcome the President's initiative to improve services and connections to young people aging out of care. But we echo Rev. Starsky Wilson, president of the (1/2)
Reposted by Virginia Poverty Law Center
SNAP participants already have to regularly recertify for benefits
it's every year for most, sometimes more often, sometimes a little less (like for elderly and disabled folks)
it's every year for most, sometimes more often, sometimes a little less (like for elderly and disabled folks)
The Trump admin to require millions of low-income people to reapply for food stamps as part of an effort to crack down on “fraud," Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said.
Trump administration will require SNAP participants to reapply for benefits
The move is part of USDA chief Brooke Rollins’ effort to overhaul the nation’s largest anti-hunger program and get rid of “fraud.”
www.politico.com
November 14, 2025 at 8:43 PM
SNAP participants already have to regularly recertify for benefits
it's every year for most, sometimes more often, sometimes a little less (like for elderly and disabled folks)
it's every year for most, sometimes more often, sometimes a little less (like for elderly and disabled folks)
Work at VPLC! Full listing and information about how to apply here: www.vplc.org/jobs/policy-...
November 14, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Work at VPLC! Full listing and information about how to apply here: www.vplc.org/jobs/policy-...
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...