More States Enforce New 80-Hour SNAP Rules – RedState
The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, has been in desperate need of reform for some time. While Democratic administrations (I’m looking at you, Barack Obama) have measured success by the number of people participating in these programs, under the Obama administration the Department of Agriculture actually ran TV and radio ads promoting SNAP – conservatives tend to measure success by the number of people who no longer need it.
But incentives also matter, and that’s part of the current rollout of SNAP reforms pushed by President Trump. Some of these reforms came into effect on Sunday.
New work requirements expand Sunday to more states for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the nation’s largest federal aid program.
Starting today, adults ages 18 to 64 without dependent children must work, participate in employment and training programs, or volunteer at least 80 hours per month to be eligible for SNAP benefits. Those who do not meet these conditions can only receive benefits for three months over a three-year period.
The new requirements extend work rules to additional groups that were previously exempt, including adults ages 55 to 64 and parents of children ages 14 or older. The law also removes prior exemptions for veterans, homeless people and people ages 18 to 24 who were in foster care when they turned 18, according to federal guidelines.
The changes stem from provisions included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law last summer.
In other words, there is a new incentive here: if you are able to work, then one way or another, you will. That’s a good thing. Some of these people undoubtedly have skills that can be put to good use. Otherwise, there will always be trash to pick up along roads and highways, and ditches to dig.
But wait! There’s more!
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the new provisions will reduce SNAP participation by approximately 2.4 million people over the next 10 years. About a third of those affected are able-bodied adults aged 18 to 64 without dependent children, while about 300,000 are able-bodied adults in this age group who live with children aged 14 or older.
Beyond work requirements, the law also makes broader changes to SNAP that will affect benefit levels for many households, including limits on future benefit increases and changes to how certain living expenses are considered in calculating monthly aid, according to the CBO. These provisions are expected to result in reduced benefit amounts over time, even for some beneficiaries who remain eligible.
So these new rules save taxpayers a few dollars and also incentivize people to go to work. It’s a win-win.
Learn more: Minnesota’s SNAP fraud fiasco is the wake-up call states can’t ignore
USDA Secretary Rollins Suspends $129 Million in Federal Grants, Telling Walz and Frey, ‘It’s Time to Drain the MN Swamp’
Now let’s move on to the next step. No more sugary drinks, pastries, candies or cookies. Limit what can be purchased. No more takeout pizzas, no more frozen burritos. Bulk flour, bulk rice, dried beans, a little lean turkey or chicken and, if there are children, milk. I’ve been proposing this for about twenty years, and I’m too often told, “You can’t tell people what they can and can’t eat!” Well, if I pay for it, I sure as hell can, and that’s for sure.
This is a good step forward. But there is still much work to be done to ensure that our country’s welfare system is a safety net, not a hammock.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and bold policies, the U.S. economy is back on track.
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