After a disruptive U.S. government shutdown, federal SNAP food assistance is again flowing to low-income households. But in the months ahead, many participants will have to abide by new work requirements.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides monthly benefits — averaging around $190 per person — to about 42 million people nationwide. During the first couple weeks of November, many of those recipients missed their regular allotments as President Trump’s administration battled in court over whether to tap into reserves to fund the program while the government was shut down.
Benefits Available After Lapses
For the first part of the month, the situation was chaotic after the federal government stated SNAP would not be funded because of the government shutdown. Some states replenished the electronic benefit cards used in the program either fully or partially, utilizing their own funds or federal dollars stemming from court orders. Others did not. Most states boosted food charities, but lines were long and some shelves were empty.
As soon as the government reopened on Nov. 12, many states rushed to distribute benefits. By Tuesday, all states had either loaded full November benefits onto people’s electronic spending cards or were in the process of doing so, according to an Associated Press review. Participants should receive December SNAP benefits as per their regular schedule.
New Work Requirements for SNAP Recipients
A massive tax and spending bill signed into law 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 do not comply are limited to three months of benefits in a three-year period.
The new work requirements previously applied to adults aged 18 through 54 who are able-bodied and do not have dependents. The new law broadens these requirements to include individuals aged 55 through 64 and parents without children under the age of 14. It also repeals exemptions for homeless individuals, veterans, and young adults aging out of foster care, limiting the ability of states to waive work requirements in areas with few jobs.
The Trump administration waived the work requirements in November, but the three-month clock on work-free SNAP benefits will resume in December. The new requirements are projected to reduce the average monthly number of SNAP recipients by approximately 2.4 million over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Concerns About SNAP's Integrity
In the aftermath of the shutdown, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, whose department administers SNAP, has raised concerns about the program's integrity, suggesting that it is riddled with fraud, including cases of deceased individuals receiving benefits and some individuals collecting benefits multiple times.
Rollins implied that all SNAP recipients might need to reapply. However, it is unclear whether he meant a new requirement or was referring to the existing stipulation requiring periodic recertification of income and other information.
While an Agriculture Department spokesperson did not clarify this point, they stated that the standard recertification processes are a part of a strategy to eliminate fraud, abuse, and waste within SNAP. Under federal law, most households must report their income and basic information every four to six months and be fully recertified at least once a year. Full recertification may occur every two years for households where all adults are aged 60 or older or have disabilities. However, states can impose more frequent eligibility verifications, with 27 states requiring some households to be fully recertified every four to six months last year, according to a USDA report.
