“It’s not doing anything to help them, to help the economy. It’s just a punitive way to take food away from people,” said the SNAP director for the Food Research & Action Center.
The debt ceiling agreement between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, which includes expanded work requirements for participants of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), has sparked criticism from anti-hunger advocates. These advocates argue that the new provision would create unnecessary barriers for low-income households without offering significant savings for the federal government.
Currently, SNAP participants must meet certain work requirements to continue receiving monthly grocery benefits, including being employed or participating in approved job training programs. The new deal, however, would increase the age range for individuals required to meet these work requirements, extending the upper limit from 49 to 54.
While some believe that these expanded work requirements will help people secure employment, many anti-hunger groups disagree. They argue that these requirements do not meaningfully increase employment opportunities for participants. Ellen Vollinger, SNAP director for the Food Research & Action Center, criticized the expansion, calling it “just a punitive way to take food away from people” without benefiting either the economy or the people involved.
The expanded rules will create significant challenges for individuals aged 50 to 54, who may already be facing age discrimination or finding it difficult to adapt to new career fields, Vollinger explained. These challenges could worsen as people in this age group attempt to meet the new requirements.
The deal would still exempt people with dependents, including children or elderly adults, as well as those with documented disabilities, from the work requirements. Veterans, homeless individuals, and youths aging out of foster care would also be excluded from these mandates, which the Biden administration has called a positive aspect of the agreement.
Despite these exemptions, critics maintain that the proposal will not yield significant cost savings for the U.S. government. Lisa Davis, senior vice president of the No Kid Hungry campaign, pointed out that the expanded work requirements will save very little money while potentially hurting many individuals who rely on SNAP to meet basic needs.