Wisconsin FoodShare reductions coming: 'This is no joke'

MILWAUKEE - During a time when groceries are getting more expensive, hundreds of thousands of Americans will soon have less money for food.

Come March 1, the federal government is ending extra FoodShare benefits put in place in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin said recipients are going to lose roughly half their FoodShare benefits on average in March – and all 700,000 FoodShare recipients in Wisconsin will take a hit.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

"This is serious. This is no joke," said Matt Stienstra with Feeding America. "Folks are going to have a lot less money to buy food, and when folks have less money to buy food, the first thing they do, they think about where is the closest food panty to me."

Feeding America said inflation drove longer lines at food pantries this past fall than during the height of the pandemic.

Anyone in need of assistance can go to Feeding America's website to find food pantry locations and get help with FoodShare cases.