U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny
Perdue addressed an U.S. Senate hearing last week about the need to
restore SNAP to its original intent. USDA had already
published in the Federal Register a proposed rule to move more
able-bodied recipients of SNAP benefits to self-sufficiency
through the dignity of work. The rule aims to restore the system to
what it was meant to be: assistance through difficult times, not
lifelong dependency. The proposed rule focuses on work-related
program requirements for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents
(ABAWDs) and would apply to non-disabled people, between the ages of
18 and 49, with no dependents. The rule would not apply to the
elderly, the disabled, or pregnant women. Those who are eligible to
receive SNAP – including the underemployed – would still
qualify.
He noted the absence of any statutory
changes to the welfare reform legislation of 1996, an abuse of
administrative flexibility in SNAP has undermined the ideal of
self-sufficiency. When then President Bill Clinton signed the
legislation that instituted work requirements for ABAWDs. Perdue
said, “First and foremost, it should be about moving people from
welfare to work. It should impose time limits on welfare, it gives
structure, meaning and dignity to most of our lives.”
December 2018 data from the Department
of Labor announced that job openings reached 7.3 million and that
just under 6.3 million Americans were unemployed. USDA’s proposal
would help to ensure that work provisions are waived only when
necessary, encouraging states to renew their focus on helping SNAP
participants find a path to self-sufficiency. USDA continues to
encourage all interested parties to provide input on the proposed
rule. The comment period opened on February 1 and closes on April 2.
Proposed
Rule:
Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program: Requirements for Able-Bodied Adults
without Dependents
(PDF, 300 KB)
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