Following the devastating U.S. government shutdown, federal SNAP food assistance is once again flowing to low-income families. But in the coming months, many members will have to comply with new work requirements.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides monthly benefits – averaging about $190 per person – to about 42 million people nationwide. During the first two weeks of November, many of these recipients missed your regular discharge like the administration of President Donald Trump fought in court the question of whether to use reserves to fund the program while the government was shut down.
Here's what you need to know about SNAP:
The first half of the month was chaotic after the federal government announced that SNAP would not be funded due to the government shutdown.
Some states funded the electronic benefit cards used in the program, in whole or in part, using their own funds or federal dollars that were part of court orders. Others didn't.
Most states were expanding food donations, but lines were long and some shelves were empty.
As soon as the government reopened on November 12, many states rushed to receive benefits.
By Tuesday, all states had either loaded full November benefits onto people's electronic spending cards or were working on doing so, according to an Associated Press review. Participants should receive their December SNAP benefits according to their regular schedule.
Massive taxes and expenses The law Trump signed in July expanded requirements for many adult SNAP recipients to work, volunteer or participate in job training for at least 80 hours a month. Those who don't are limited to three months of benefits over a three-year period.
job requirements previously applied to adults aged 18 to 54 who were physically and mentally capable and had no dependents. The new law also extends these requirements to people aged 55 to 64 and to parents who do not have children under 14 years of age. It eliminates work exemptions for homeless people, veterans and youth aging out of foster care. And it limits states' ability to waive work requirements in areas where jobs are scarce.
The Trump administration eliminated work requirements in November, but the three-month deadline for SNAP benefits for those not working will go into full effect in December.
The new requirements are expected to reduce the average monthly number of SNAP recipients by about 2.4 million over the next 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Following the shutdown, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, whose department administers SNAP, questioned the program. Rollins said there is widespread fraud, including deceased people receiving benefits and some people receiving multiple benefits.
Rollins proposed that anyone receiving SNAP would have to reapply. But it's unclear whether Rollins was proposing an additional requirement or was referring to the current requirement that requires people to periodically verify their income and other information.
A Department of Agriculture spokesman did not provide clarity, but instead said in a statement that standard household recertification processes are part of a plan to root out fraud, abuse and waste.
Federal law requires most households to report their income and basic information every four to six months and complete full recertification for SNAP at least every 12 months. Full recertification may occur every 24 months for households in which all adults are over 60 or have a disability.
But states may require more frequent eligibility checks. Last year, 27 states required at least some households to undergo full recertification every four to six months, depending on their family circumstances, according to a USDA report.
