New work requirements for recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are set to take effect, prompting significant concern among beneficiaries. As of Labor Day, individuals must demonstrate they are working or volunteering at least 20 hours each week to maintain their benefits. This change, part of the federal budget bill signed by former President Donald Trump in July, could impact up to 144,000 residents in Pennsylvania alone, including approximately 45,000 individuals in Philadelphia.
Chris Parks, a Philadelphia resident who has relied on food assistance for over five years, expressed her dismay at the new requirements. After leaving her job to care for her brother, a kidney transplant recipient with an intellectual disability, Parks found that SNAP helped ease her financial burden, allowing her to allocate funds to other critical expenses, such as medical bills. “It really helps, especially now with prices fluctuating at the various markets,” she said. “You shouldn’t have to feel that you have to compromise food in order to pay for other things.”
The new regulations require able-bodied adults under the age of 55, without dependents, to provide proof of employment or volunteer work to retain their SNAP benefits. Starting in November, this mandate will extend to veterans and individuals aged 55 to 64. Parks remarked on the challenges that recent retirees may face, stating, “For recent retirees, the last thing you want to be hit with is, ‘If you want to sustain your SNAP benefits, you have to go back out into the workforce.’”
Parks’ physician has signed off on an exemption due to her health conditions, which include diabetes and osteoarthritis. However, thousands of others in Pennsylvania are now left scrambling to navigate the complexities of the new system, trying to secure necessary documentation to prove they cannot work. Lydia Gottesfeld, an attorney at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, highlighted the potential for many to lose access to SNAP benefits not due to ineligibility, but simply because of bureaucratic hurdles. “We’re worried that many people may lose access to SNAP… not because they’re no longer eligible, but because they don’t get the correct piece of paper in and processed at the right time,” she explained.
The new work requirements stipulate that recipients who earn over $217.50 per week before taxes are exempt from these labor mandates. Individuals who fail to meet the requirements will only qualify for SNAP benefits for a maximum of three months within a three-year period. Furthermore, eligibility for some immigrants, including certain refugees, has been rescinded as part of this legislation.
Awareness of these changes remains low among many residents, prompting advocacy groups to urge SNAP recipients to be vigilant for official notifications in the mail. “We’re hearing a lot of surprise, and people trying to understand the rules that are coming, what paperwork they need to get in,” Gottesfeld said. “People are also frustrated because they have various caregiving duties, or they’re an older adult, and meeting this work requirement doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
As the deadline approaches, the impact of these new requirements on families reliant on SNAP for their food security is becoming increasingly evident. The situation underscores the ongoing challenges faced by vulnerable populations in navigating the complexities of government assistance programs.
