More Than 500,000 Americans Stand to Lose SNAP Benefits

Looks like many Americans will be losing food stamp benefits real soon.

Apparently many states have been waiving work requirements for people aged 18-49.

A clause inside the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act is going to be "enforced" again.

I think budgets and government debts have been getting pressured.

Now what will happen?

This doesn't look good for politicians running for office this year does it.



More Than 500,000 Americans Stand to Lose SNAP Benefits

On April 1, at least half a million Americans will wake up no longer eligible for the food assistance benefits that have, for decades, been a crucial lifeline for the poor in a harsh economic landscape.

A clause in the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act limited Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to three months in any given 36-month period for unemployed adults between the ages of 18 and 49 who are not working or enrolled in a job-training or community service program at least 20 hours per week.

During the economic downturn, many states instituted waivers to override these limits. But now that the employment rate has improved, the restrictions came back into effect in 40 states on January 1, 2016—meaning that some recipients will start feeling the impacts in April. The possibility of the time limit’s reimplementation began to trickle down from the federal government to the states around this time last year, but the exact areas and the precise number of people to be affected remained unclear until national and regional unemployment rates were confirmed around November of 2015.

another link with some videos:
side story with videos

all good things come to an end sometime.

a reply to: xuenchen

Hunger is a great motivator.

Well if the employment figures have improved, then you would expect this to effect less people. Besides, this should be all the encouragement those that are affected by the changes need.

If there are plenty of jobs available and people are fit enough to fill them, then work should be the first option.

Nice to see such an upturn in the economy.

a reply to: xuenchen


Without thinking it through my initial knee-jerk reaction is..... Less jobs for the poor (via Affordable Care Act and rising minimum wage mandates) combined with "no work; no snap" = even more chaos.

I can hear it now ... Those evil Republicans took away your SNAP, and if you vote for me, I will fight hard to make sure there is SNAP in every pot ...

There's plenty of people who should lose them. Though many examples come to mind, the most recent one is an experience a friend of mine had. He has cancer and can barely find the strength to work; even then he only works part time at a gas station. He used to have a solid job in HVAC but can no longer do that. He can barely afford to eat and I buy him food as often as I can, but he was told he "makes too much money" for food stamps when he applied. The other day someone walked into his workplace and flashed a wad of hundreds at him, bragging about their new 2016 whatever luxury car, then paid for their food with food stamps. I had many neighbors where I used to live who were like this as well. I repeat that some people really should lose their benefits, they clog the system, which doesn't even reach all of the people who are truly in need.

a reply to: DBCowboy

For crime more often than gainful employment.

a reply to: Cobaltic1978

Well if the employment figures have improved

There lies the problem. Unemployment number doesn't include those whom have "stopped looking" as they say. Doesn't include those that are doing the "disability hustle" thing or any of the other things that cloud the "real" unemployment number.

Whew...That $15 per hr. minimum wage and free college can't get here fast enough.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: xuenchen

Hunger is a great motivator.

Sure worked for my wife and I.

originally posted by: xuenchen
Looks like many Americans will be losing food stamp benefits real soon.

Awesome!!! Now conservatives have something to really cheer for am I right?

Being a heartless POS is great isn't it?

"High fives all around"

Take away something else.

Many innocent kids that depend on that food.

originally posted by: eluryh22
a reply to: Cobaltic1978

Well if the employment figures have improved

There lies the problem. Unemployment number doesn't include those whom have "stopped looking" as they say. Doesn't include those that are doing the "disability hustle" thing or any of the other things that cloud the "real" unemployment number.

Oh, they play that game in the U.S also?

I thought it was a U.K thing. :

originally posted by: whyamIhere
Take away something else.

Many innocent kids that depend on that food.

Off the top of my head I cannot think of what we could take away instead, but I agree with your sentiment.

Not sure this should have ever gone away. Regardless of the economy there was always community service options. Community service should have still been a requirement.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: xuenchen

Hunger is a great motivator.

I think lack of opportunity not lack of motivation is the biggest problem.

Funny really, the same politicians that destroyed the job market are the same ones hell bent on making life even worse for the masses.

If it were laziness, then unemployment wouldn't be so low when there is decent work for decent pay.

a reply to: In4ormant

I agree - at the very least, any "able-bodied" person receiving any sort of benefits should be returning the favor through community service until they are able to find a job or what have you. I can think of plenty of tasks, some that would even reduce government spending if you have "volunteers" completing the job. Might help motivate people, if they can no longer get benefits with no cost to them. Only those who truly cannot work due to severe illnesses or something similar should be excluded from this.

No food unless you enroll on a 20-hour education program? That's hardly a punishment. There will probably be snack machines on campus.

im one of those people, but the crappy thing about it is even if your area doesnt have any sort of job training or community service you still lose them and in my area jobs are as rare as unicorns. ive applied at every fast food joint,tool shop and retail place but to no avail. the voluntary community service thing is also alot of bunk they want 20 hours of service a week...well i only get 175 a month in stamps so id basically be working 80 hours a month for 175....no thanks id rather take my chances with poaching animals for meat lol

originally posted by: stormcell

No food unless you enroll on a 20-hour education program? That's hardly a punishment. There will probably be snack machines on campus.

And those machines are always "cash only"