Policy & Practice | Fall 2023

legislative update By Mary Alice Hunt

The New SNAP Landscape: What the Debt Ceiling Deal Means for SNAP Recipients this October

T his past May, just days before the federal government was expected to breach the debt ceiling, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to avert default. The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (H.R. 3746), which was signed into law days later by the President, was the product of bipartisan negotiations that agreed to lift the debt ceiling in conjunction with spending cuts and the addition of new work requirements for participants of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) who are considered able-bodied adults without depen dents (ABAWDs). The new SNAP work requirements are slated to begin going into effect as soon as this October. Work requirements under SNAP fall into two categories: general require ments and additional requirements expected of ABAWD recipients. General work requirements affect SNAP recipi ents aged 16–59 and require them to work a minimum of 30 hours per week and/or participate in employment and training (E&T) activities unless they meet exemption criteria. Exemption criteria include barriers to employ ment such as having physical or mental limitations; being a caretaker of a child younger than age 6 or an incapaci tated person; being treated for drug or alcohol disorders; or being enrolled as a student (at least half time). Should work requirements not be met, SNAP recipients face sanctions such as dis qualification from benefits. SNAP recipients categorized as ABAWDs and who are between the ages of 18–49 have additional work participation requirements such as

engaging in a minimum combined 80 hours per month of activities from paid employment, volunteer work, or other work programs. ABAWD recipients who have physical or mental limita tions or are pregnant are exempted from these additional requirements. Agencies and their workers provide a great deal of assistance to benefits recipients to help them meet their partic ipation requirements through more than just paid employment. This includes: n Providing assistance to achieve employability to those with tempo rary barriers to participation. This could include subsidized benefits such as child care for recipients with underage children or placing recipi ents with alcohol or substance abuse issues into treatment programs. n Providing access to work participa tion activities such as job training, counseling, and employment services

to recipients who need help finding (and keeping) a job. These activi ties count toward their participation goals and can count toward the recip ient’s work requirement criteria. n Placing recipients into work experi ences within government agencies or employment partners in the private sector—for example, a clerical position, or labor services in a Parks or Transportation department—to gain job experience and meet their participation needs. Agencies use a wide variety of tech nology tools and systems that provide features to support this processing. From websites and eligibility systems to case management and financial accounting tools, which are all configured to support SNAP and ABAWD requirements.

See New SNAP Landscape on page 46

Illustration by Chris Campbell

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Fall 2023 Policy & Practice