Many may lose food stamps in July
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on February 5, 2016 1:46 PM
Beginning July 1, 1,300 people in Wayne County could be in danger of losing their food stamp benefits.
An old federal regulation that was waived in 2008 has been reinstated by the United States Department of Agriculture, which controls food and nutrition service benefits, and due to the reinstatement of this old policy there are new requirements being placed on people defined as able-bodied adults without dependents in order for them to keep receiving food stamp benefits.
Director of Wayne County Social Services Debra Jones said this category of people consists of men and women aged 18 to 49 years old that do not have children and are considered able to work.
"Able-bodied is defined as not having been declared disabled or unable to work," Ms. Jones said.
There will be several requirements able-bodied adults without dependents will be required to meet under the new policy in order to continue receiving food stamps, which are as follows:
* Working an average of 20 hours per week, or 80 hours per month.
* Participating in and complying with the requirements of a work program for an average of 20 hours per week, or 80 hours per month.
* Any combination of working and participating in a work program for a total of 20 hours per week, or 80 hours per month.
* Participating in and complying with a Workfare program for the required hours based on the food and nutrition services unit (food stamp) allotment divided by minimum wage.
People affected by this policy change who are pregnant, over 50, or have a member of their household who is under 18 will be exempt from abiding by the new requirements.
The new requirements mean that if able-bodied adults between 18 and 49 without dependents do not work, volunteer or attend education or job-training at least 80 hours a month, their food stamp benefits will be cut off after three months.
This policy being reinstated does not take into account whether or not the benefit recipient is actively looking for work, but rather only whether or not they are working.
This means if someone is searching for a job and is unable to find one after three months, their food aid will still be cut off if they are not employed after three months.
Ms. Jones said people who are affected by this regulation change should not panic, as July will mark the start of a three month "grace period" where benefit recipients will be able to still receive their benefits as they search for employment or education until that three month period runs out.
But, employment has the potential to harm those receiving food stamps, Ms. Jones said.
"The answer off the top of my head for what people in that situation can do is for them to seek employment, but then they run the risk of making too much to continue receiving benefits," Ms. Jones said. "But it is always a good idea to obtain more skills and seek further education."
This causes a conundrum because food stamps are not based on income, but a multitude of factors that can place a person in a situation where receiving food stamps is necessary no matter what income they have.
"There's no cut and dry income level for food stamps," Ms. Jones said. "It takes into account how many people are in your household, how many people in the household receive benefits, how many people in the household buy food, things like that."
Ms. Jones emphasized that food stamps were never meant to be the sole-source of income that purchases food for a person.
"Food stamps were always meant to be a supplement, and we always tell people to maximize the quality of the food they are buying with their food stamps and tell them to buy food that will go a long way and, sometimes, not a lot of people do that," Ms. Jones said.
When the cuts begin to take effect in July, a three-year countdown will begin on all 1,300 people the new regulations affect.
Able-bodied adults will be eligible for food stamps on a three-month time period basis.
This means people receiving food stamps that fall under this category will have their cases reviewed as to whether or not they need food stamps every three months, and can receive food stamp benefits for a total of three years as they cycle in and out of the program in three-month segments.
Ms. Jones said this part of the regulation, which will require her staff to review each individual case in Wayne County every three months, is going to significantly increase the burden and strain on her staff.
"This is going to devastate my staff," Ms. Jones said. "Our food stamp numbers in Wayne County have doubled since 2008, and we've had no increase in our staff."