It’s a federal program that helps millions get enough to eat— but, the SNAP program is about to undergo a change that is said to help recipients become more “self-sufficient”.
Right now, the program allows able-bodied recipients with no dependents to get help for up to three months of unemployment, and states can waive certain requirements in specific cases.
“States have used waivers in some place where the unemployment rate is 2.5 percent, saying there’s not enough jobs, and that’s not reasonable,” Argriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said.
A new rule, aimed at tightening work requirements, will soon change that.
“We’ve created habits out there that aren’t good for the economy. So, we’re going back and tightening these waivers states have had,” Perdue said.
He said the change would only allow those standards to be waived in areas with 6% or higher unemployment rate.
“We went from 17 million people on food stamp benefits, to over 40 million people. Even with 3.6 percent unemployment today, more jobs than we have people to find them we still have 36 million people,” Perdue said.
It’s estimated 56,000 SNAP recipients in Louisiana could be at risk of losing their benefits when the change takes effect in April 2020.
“These new rules are still very liberal in recognizing there is a transition. We’re not trying to drive people off of a cliff, we’re trying to give them a ramp up to a more sustainable, independent lifestyle,” Perdue said.
https://www.kplctv.com/2019/12/05/usda-announces-change-snap-program/
