Starting in October 2024, new rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP benefits) could leave many beneficiaries without their monthly benefits, very important money to make ends meet, as warned Michael Ryan, a financial expert and founder of michaelryanmoney.com.
The expert assures that the new SNAP benefits labor standards are very rigorous, since from October, people up to 54 years old without children will have to work to maintain their benefits.
SNAP, a momentous program that supports the lowest-income Americans by offering financial assistance for the purchase of nutritious foods. However, it is not an unconditional or unlimited aid; the program has maintained work requirements for those beneficiaries who are considered fit to work.
SNAP Benefits Job Requirements to Be Tightened
The general work requirements apply to individuals between the ages of 16 and 59 who are able to work. These include being registered to work, participating in the SNAP employment and training program, or in the social assistance program assigned by the state SNAP agency. In addition, beneficiaries must accept any job offer and cannot leave a job or reduce their hours to less than 30 without justified cause.
There are exemptions for those who already work 30 hours or more a week, meet the work requirements of other programs such as TANF, or take care of a minor under the age of 6 or a disabled person. Also exempt are those with physical or mental limitations, those who participate in alcohol or drug treatment programs, or those who study at least half-time.
However, from October, the new rules will impact people between the ages of 53 and 54. Those in this age range must meet the Able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) requirement, which requires working at least 80 hours a month, either remuneratively, as volunteers, or participating in work programs.
Impact on Beneficiaries: Thousands Would Lose Their Allowances
Having said all that, people who do not meet these requirements will lose their benefits after three months. To receive SNAP benefits again, they will have to meet the ABAWD requirements for a period of 30 days or wait three years to access three additional months of benefits.
Ryan warned that vulnerable adults between the ages of 50 and 54 are most at risk due to labor market challenges and health problems. “It’s not just about people,” Ryan said. “It’s about communities. Food banks will be overwhelmed. Local economies could be affected. And the big picture? We are restructuring our safety net.”
The Importance of Information Diffusion
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, explained that while the job requirements are broad, many recipients could lose their benefits because they are unaware of the new requirements.
“The hope is that the state governments will do a good job of getting this information out to those affected so that they don’t stop receiving the benefits that most of them need,” Beene said. Ryan concluded that while these measures could save the government money in the short term, the long-term consequences could be detrimental to families, mental health and entire communities. “It’s about real people, not just numbers,” Ryan said.
