Increased work requirements are set to be implemented for certain welfare programs as a result of the debt ceiling deal negotiated by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is one of the programs set to have its work requirements increased as part of cuts brokered in the deal to prevent the United States from defaulting on its loans. Here are the changes coming to the program if the bill is passed.
DEBT LIMIT DEAL: WHERE IT STANDS AND WHAT IS STILL TO COME
What are the new requirements?
The debt ceiling deal changes the age range for able-bodied adults who do not have dependents and requires them to work at least 20 hours a week, or 80 hours a month, to receive benefits from the program. The current age range for those required to work for benefits is 18 to 49 years old, but the range would be expanded by five years to 18 to 54 years old.
If they are unable to fulfill the requirements, they will only be eligible for benefits for three months every three years.
Another change to the program under the deal includes a requirement for the Department of Agriculture to make public the applications that states submit to waive the work requirement for places with high unemployment. It also reduces the number of exemptions from 12% of total beneficiaries to 8%.
What other parts of SNAP are changing?
Despite increased work requirements, the Congressional Budget Office expects “78,000 people would gain benefits in an average month” due to exemptions built into the debt ceiling deal. The groups exempted from the work requirements include homeless people, veterans, and adults aged 18-24 who were in foster care when they turned 18.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson (R-PA) contested the CBO’s estimate on Tuesday during a press conference, saying the estimate was incorrect because the categories were already exempted in state-level exemptions and waivers.
“They double-counted individuals that there were new categories that were created, specifically veterans, the homeless, 18-year-olds that have been living in foster care. I hope you’re all aware of the tragic situation that happens there, many times, when a young person ages out, they put their life belongings in a garbage bag, and because it all fits there, and they go out to try to find a place in the world. And very frankly, those folks, most of those folks are already counted as eligible. So CBO basically, they scored this as a $2 billion cost, which is completely false,” Thompson said.
Will this affect the amount SNAP beneficiaries receive?
The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 will not change the benefit amount for SNAP recipients, as it only affects the requirements to receive the benefits from the program.
Beneficiaries of SNAP saw their benefits shrink in 2023 in comparison to recent years due to a pandemic-era program ending at the end of February. The benefits were boosted during the pandemic by emergency allotments that stopped as the pandemic ended, resulting in lower benefit amounts.
When will the requirements go into place?
The increased work requirements would go into effect in stages, with the range being moved to 18 to 52 years old for fiscal 2024 and the range being increased to 18 to 54 years old in fiscal 2025 at the earliest.
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The increased work requirements would expire on Oct. 1, 2030, under this bill, but the reduction in the percentage of applications permitted to waive the work requirements would be permanent.
For these changes to be implemented, the debt ceiling deal must pass Congress and be signed into law by Biden. The bill is expected to be voted on in the House on Wednesday evening, with a Senate vote expected shortly after.
