. Why Are the Poorest Always the First to Get Cut? Cutting social welfare is like removing the last wooden plank from a collapsing hut — the people inside are the ones who feel every gust of cold wind. Last week, during the latest federal budget negotiations, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was once again placed on the chopping block. A program designed to ensure basic food security for low-income households is now facing: tighter eligibility screenings reduced monthly benefits and entire families pushed out of the system All this is happening while food prices remain high and inflation continues to pressure everyday life. This blow should never have fallen on the most vulnerable.