SNAP Food program adds requirements in 9 WV counties

[jln]

www.wowktv.com/story/30802377/food-program-adds-requirements-in-9-west-virginia-counties

Food program adds requirements in 9 West Virginia counties



Posted: Dec 21, 2015 2:10 PM CST

Updated: Dec 21, 2015 2:10 PM CST

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is adding requirements for benefits recipients in nine West Virginia counties.



Effective Jan. 1, people receiving SNAP benefits in the affected counties will be required to participate in a work or educational activity for a monthly average of 20 hours per week. Recipients who don't meet the requirements will lose their SNAP benefits.



The requirement applies to benefits recipients in Berkeley, Cabell, Harrison, Jefferson, Kanawha, Marion, Monongalia, Morgan and Putnam counties.



The Department of Health and Human Resources says in a new release that these counties were selected because they have the lowest unemployment rates in West Virginia.



The department says the goal is to provide employment and training opportunities for benefit recipients who are defined as able-bodied adults without dependents.

[jln]

If they have the lowest UE rates, why are they expecting people to have an extra 20 hours a month on top of working?

[forreals]

Dec 21, 2015 20:34:54 GMT -5 jln said:

If they have the lowest UE rates, why are they expecting people to have an extra 20 hours a month on top of working?

I am guessing this applies to folks who are not working, do not have dependents, are not considered disabled, and are under a certain age. When unemployment dips below a certain rate, this kicks in. I hate it.

[jln]

Dec 21, 2015 20:39:02 GMT -5 forreals said:

Dec 21, 2015 20:34:54 GMT -5 jln said:

If they have the lowest UE rates, why are they expecting people to have an extra 20 hours a month on top of working?

I am guessing this applies to folks who are not working, do not have dependents, are not considered disabled, and are under a certain age. When unemployment dips below a certain rate, this kicks in. I hate it.

I guess that makes a little more sense.  I still don't like it, though. 

[forreals]

For folks who have histories that make it hard to find work, or mental health issues that make maintaining work difficult but haven't been able to get disability, this is really demoralizing. The benefit amount isn't big as it is, but to lose it and therefore lose pretty much all ability to buy things that you don't usually get from a food pantry is a sad state of affairs.

[ESF]

Dec 21, 2015 20:55:17 GMT -5 Catlawdy said:

Who is providing these "educational opportunities"? Are they abundant and funded in west va?

Right? This seems not good.

[MrsAxilla]

WHY OH WHY DO I DISCUSS POLITICS WITH MY DAD?!?! Good news: he's NOT a Trumper (he supports Rubio). Bad news: we can solve our budget problems by slashing food stamps!

There's not enough wine in the world for this bullshit

[elleblue]

Dec 22, 2015 1:27:50 GMT -5 MrsAxilla said:

WHY OH WHY DO I DISCUSS POLITICS WITH MY DAD?!?! Good news: he's NOT a Trumper (he supports Rubio). Bad news: we can solve our budget problems by slashing food stamps!

There's not enough wine in the world for this bullshit

So he must not know how little of the budget is spent on food stamps/snap, right? Because otherwise that's like telling someone they can save their home from foreclosure by stopping their Sunday S*bucks purchases. Sounds good in theory but utter nonsense when you look at the numbers. 

[MrsAxilla]

Dec 22, 2015 1:57:53 GMT -5 elleblue said:

Dec 22, 2015 1:27:50 GMT -5 MrsAxilla said:

WHY OH WHY DO I DISCUSS POLITICS WITH MY DAD?!?! Good news: he's NOT a Trumper (he supports Rubio). Bad news: we can solve our budget problems by slashing food stamps!

There's not enough wine in the world for this bullshit

So he must not know how little of the budget is spent on food stamps/snap, right? Because otherwise that's like telling someone they can save their home from foreclosure by stopping their Sunday S*bucks purchases. Sounds good in theory but utter nonsense when you look at the numbers. 

I swear I said the exact same fucking thing and it went completely unacknowledged. AND THEN, he announced he was going to bed and left!!  The fucking nerve!  TBF, my mom hates when we argue politics and I heard him apologize to her when he went in.  Plus DH told me I made greats points, even though they were lost on him.  I've simmered down...a little.

[forreals]

So sorry, @mrsa. How frustrating! The fact that food stamp money gets dumped straight back into the economy via food purchases makes me think they aren't hurting us the way your dad thinks.

[penguingrrl]

Denying people food is sure to make them more productive!

[One Girl In All The World]

Dec 22, 2015 1:27:50 GMT -5 MrsAxilla said:

WHY OH WHY DO I DISCUSS POLITICS WITH MY DAD?!?! Good news: he's NOT a Trumper (he supports Rubio). Bad news: we can solve our budget problems by slashing food stamps!

There's not enough wine in the world for this bullshit

He must hang out with my SIL who ranted about what a sweet deal poor people get over thanksgiving.

[Deleted]

Ugh. I think the idea of making people jump through hoops for FOOD is freaking horrible. I do like the idea of providing (presumably free) access to job training programs though. My mom did something similar through our state when I was around 11/12 and it lead to her becoming a programmer. Prior to that she worked as a waitress in summers. 

Question: when states implement requirements such as these, do they provide free babysitting as well?

[Deleted]

Can we not just feed people without being assholes?!


Please, for once, just give poor people food and don't be a jerk about it.

[Velar Fricative]

But I feel like an able-bodied person without dependents would WANT to work if there were opportunities. Or, you know, they could be already working. Have we learned nothing about the working poor these last several years?