59,000 Pennsylvanians have lost food benefits in past 6 months

More than 59,500 Pennsylvanians have lost federal food assistance in the six months since the imposition of work requirements for program recipients, according to state officials.

The changes were ushered in by President Donald Trump’s marquee tax legislation, which stripped away the commonwealth’s broad exemption from job mandates attached to federal nutrition assistance.

As of Sept. 1, that meant many able-bodied adults without young children had to show they were working or volunteering for at least 20 hours each week to remain enrolled in the program. Food stamp recipients who don’t comply are limited under the rule to three months of benefits over a three-year period.

The requirements expanded further Nov. 1 to cover people up to age 64 and parents of children 14 or older. Previously, people over age 54 or parents of children younger than 18 were exempt.

Because of the red tape involved in reporting compliance, advocates say some recipients might get pushed off assistance even though they have jobs and are otherwise following the rules.

“It has already been proven that the work requirements don’t actually increase work,” said Lauren Duff, spokeswoman for Feeding Pennsylvania. “They just create more barriers for people to access the food they need to thrive.”

Duff said the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is an irreplaceable part of the commonwealth’s social safety net, supplying nine meals for every one provided by a charity. Still, she said she hopes people displaced from the federal food program will turn to food banks and pantries in their time of need.

“That’s what we’re here for,” she said. “Our network is ready to help them get through this time, having lost the benefits they relied on.”

In total, 59,578 Pennsylvanians were expelled from SNAP in recent months, likely because of the expanded federal mandates, according to the state’s department of human services. However, that figure does include some people who dropped off the rolls because they moved out of state or became ineligible for other reasons, the agency said.

People can restore their food benefits by showing program administrators they are meeting the work mandate or qualify for an exemption because they’re pregnant, caring for an ill or disabled person or in a drug or alcohol recovery program, among other reasons. A full list of exemptions is available online.

County caseworkers can answer questions about how to document work, education or volunteering activities or report an exemption, according to the state. Program participants can also call the state’s customer service center at 877-395-8930. Additional information is available at pa.gov.