Blog

Beneficial Changes to the Snap Program

Washington, D.C., December 5, 2019

This goes without saying, but it’s both appropriate and moral for a nation with our means to provide a hunger safety net for its citizens.

One of those safety nets is known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or “SNAP” for short. On Wednesday, a worthwhile change was implemented to this program to help move able-bodied SNAP recipients towards self-sufficiency and away from reliance on the government.

Long-standing laws already require that each week, SNAP recipients participate in at least 20 hours of work, job training, or volunteering. That works out to ~4 hours per day M-F. Able-bodied adults receiving SNAP benefits who choose not to work, participate in job training, or at least volunteer are limited to three months of benefits during a three-year period. (Again, this is the existing statute.)

Keep in mind that “able-bodied” here means an adult age 18 – 49 without dependents. Children, parents with a child at home under 18, pregnant women, those with a disability, or anyone 50 or older are all explicitly excluded from this definition.

The problem, however, is that states have been allowed to apply for waivers to these work requirements, even with unemployment rates as low as 2.5%. To nobody’s surprise, those waivers have enabled countless able-bodied adults to receive SNAP benefits for years on end without looking for employment or participating in job training. This is inexcusable given the record number of job openings under this economy.

That’s all about to change for the better. With Wednesday’s rule change, waivers to the three-month limit are still available, but will only be granted to areas where the unemployment rate is over 10% or where there is a lack of sufficient jobs.

This was, after all, Congress’ original intent with SNAP. It was supposed to be “a second chance, not a way of life.” There’s value in work, job training, or volunteering. And it’s not asking too much that able-bodied adults who rely on SNAP benefits be engaged in at least one of those activities while on their road to self-sufficiency.