When cars drive up to the Franklin Center food pantry’s tents, volunteers load fresh food into open trunks — no explanation needed.
It’s a much different story for those seeking help through the government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
Kurt Rietema, president of the Franklin Center in Kansas City, Kansas, said people often come to the pantry when SNAP restrictions make them ineligible or just become too complicated to deal with.
“Anytime we're putting extra requirements in order for people to get the help that they need,” he said, “that's not necessarily going to be a good thing for us.”
As part of the debt ceiling agreement, Congress recently raised the work requirement age limit to 55 for able-bodied adults without dependents in order to qualify for SNAP. Such recipients must prove that they are working, volunteering or in job training programs within three months or they lose their benefits.
It was a move that the state of Kansas had made a few months earlier, raising the age limit by 10 years to 59. Last year, state lawmakers also raised the number of hours people have to work, from 20 to 30 a week. For participants who fail to work the required hours, they have to complete an employment and training program.
Both Kansas and federal Republican lawmakers say it’s about getting people working.
“If you are able-bodied and you don't have small children, you should be either working or trying to get a job or getting the training you need to get a job,” said House Rep. Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska. “And I think most Americans overwhelmingly agree with that.”
Falling through the cracks
In April, Kansas Republicans emphasized that the changes only applied to able-bodied adults without dependents, as they voted to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of the bill.
“In order to buy food you need to have a job, that's what this is all about,” said Kansas Sen. Beverly Gossage.
Kansas ranks 49th in access to SNAP benefits, according to USDA data from 2021. Those opposed to work requirements say that they just further discourage people from even applying for help.
Source: nebraskapublicmedia.or
Photo Credit: gettyimages-vwalakte
Categories: Kansas, Government & Policy