December 5, 2019, New York, NY - This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved new rules that limit Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit eligibility for able-bodied adults (between the ages of 18-50) without dependent children to just three months out of every three years unless they are able to obtain and maintain an average of 20 hours a week of employment, strictly enforcing federal work requirements.
The rules stand to remove nearly 700,000 vulnerable people from the federal food-stamp program at a time when they need it the most.
Below is a statement from Tanya Wong, Director of Government Benefits at Legal Services NYC, which helps hundreds of low-income New Yorkers access and retain SNAP benefits each year:
"These rules will unnecessarily harm vulnerable New Yorkers by denying them food benefits at a time when they may need it the most," said Tanya Wong, Director of Government Benefits at Legal Services NYC. "Many people receiving SNAP benefits in New York City are homeless and face untold barriers to employment, including limited skills, lack of transportation, and poor health. These rules only further destabilize low-income New Yorkers' lives by creating food instability which makes it harder for them to find employment and earn a living, putting them and their families at further risk."
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