Last week, a U.S. House panel approved new work and job training requirements for food stamps — or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — recipients as part of the Farm Bill. These requirements could impact older adults and people with disabilities.
The traditionally nonpartisan Agriculture Committee approved the measure along party lines. The SNAP provisions would tighten existing work requirements and expand funding for state training programs, though not by enough.
"But we’re particularly concerned about that provision for older workers in their 50s because it applies to people up to age 59," said Brynne Keith-Jennings with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington, D.C., think tank. "Research shows us that many of these workers who are out of work do face barriers in getting back to work. They often experience unemployment for longer periods."
Keith-Jennings also said people with disabilities and those with chronic conditions, who may not receive disability benefits, might not be recognized by the state as being exempt from this provision.
The bill now goes to the House of Representatives.
