Republican Lawmakers’ Expansion of Work Requirements for Food Stamps Could Affect 2.4 Million Americans
Approximately 2.4 million fewer Americans, including families with children, are projected to receive food stamp benefits in an average month due to expanded work requirements for certain recipients as part of a recent legislation. The requirement for parents of dependent children to work for their food assistance will lead to fewer people losing nutrition aid than initially anticipated.
The new law mandates employment for parents with children aged 14 and older, a change from the previous proposal which called for requiring children aged 7 and above to work, according to a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis.
The CBO has released several reports detailing the impact of this legislation on food stamp recipients, Medicaid beneficiaries, and individuals receiving Affordable Care Act coverage over the next 20 years. The reports also examine how the package will affect Americans across various income levels, revealing that the lowest-income households will see a decrease in income, while wealthier individuals will experience an increase.
The changes to food assistance programs are expected to result in hardship for many recipients at a time when grocery prices remain high and food banks are struggling to meet increased demand. Among those losing coverage will be 300,000 adults who live with children aged 14 and above, according to CBO estimates.
Another contentious provision requires certain states to bear the cost of food stamp benefits for the first time, a move that could lead some states to reduce or eliminate benefits or even withdraw from the program altogether. This measure is expected to affect about 300,000 people in an average month and approximately 96,000 children through child nutrition programs.
Under the previous proposal, states would have been required to pay a larger share of costs, potentially leading to the reduction or elimination of benefits for over 1.3 million people in an average month and affecting about 420,000 children. Other provisions in the law are projected to decrease benefits for certain households.
Gina Plata-Nino, interim SNAP director at the Food Research & Action Center, notes that many food stamp enrollees are employed but may struggle with red tape when reporting their work or holding jobs with inconsistent hours. She expresses concern that the elimination of this support will come at a time when more people may also lose their health insurance.
The legislation also mandates employment for certain Medicaid enrollees, which is projected to result in 5.3 million more uninsured individuals by 2034. Overall, the package’s Medicaid measures are forecast to lead to 7.5 million more Americans without insurance, while changes to the Affordable Care Act will lead to 2.1 million more people being insured.
While the law is expected to boost incomes for most Americans, it will not benefit everyone equally. The lowest-income households, earning less than $24,000 on average, are projected to see a decrease of about $1,200 per year or 3.1%, primarily due to reductions in benefits such as Medicaid and food stamps. In contrast, middle-income Americans will experience an increase of about $800, or 0.8%. However, the highest earners, with incomes averaging nearly $700,000, will see a significant boost of $13,600 or 2.7%.
The wealthiest 10% are predicted to receive 63% of the benefits from this legislation, while the bottom 60% will receive only 4%, according to an economics professor at the University of Michigan.