Changes coming to Georgia’s food stamp program

The program that nearly 1.5 million Georgians rely on to feed themselves is undergoing a facelift.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, is a federal assistance program with benefits distributed by the states.

Now, a recent debt ceiling deal at the federal level will alter SNAP eligibility requirements. On top of that, work requirements that were suspended during the pandemic have come back.

Confused? So were we.

In order to make sense of it all, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution spoke to policy experts and state officials to sort through the changes. Representatives from the Department of Human Services, The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute all spoke to the AJC for this explainer. Below is a step-by-step guide on what’s ahead.

Suspended work requirements are back

A longstanding part of the SNAP program is a work reporting requirement that applies to 18- to 49-year-olds without kids in the home, so long as they don’t have a disability, are pregnant, or are enrolled in college.

For years, people in this category have had to prove that they were working or in a training program for at least 80 hours a month. This rule was suspended during the pandemic, but is now back in place as of July 1st. If a person fails to provide that information for three months, they will be removed from the program, according to DHS. This means SNAP enrollees could lose benefits as soon as October 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Now, about 87,000 adults without children in the home must prove they are meeting the requirement. The state’s Department of Human Services initially applied to waive the requirement in some parts of the state, but ultimately didn’t implement it, citing changes to SNAP in the debt ceiling deal.

What counts as meeting the work requirement?

So what actually counts as “work” under this rule? There are several options that will satisfy the requirement and keep SNAP recipients qualified, according to DHS.

Working an average of 20 hours per week, or 80 hours per month.
Participating in education or training for an average of 20 hours per week, or 80 hours per month.
Participating in “workfare,” like volunteering at a nonprofit agency. All state, federal, county, and city government agencies are potential workfare sponsors.
Participating in a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act training program.
Any combination of working and participating in a work program for an average of 20 hours a week.

According to DHS, the proof of work requirements can be submitted electronically through the Georgia Gateway portal or sent to a local DFCS office. The type of proof varies based on the activity: For example, proof of employment could be verified using documents like pay stubs or signed statements by the employer.

New changes coming to SNAP

Here’s where things get a bit more complicated. In June, President Joe Biden signed legislation to suspend the nation’s debt limit and avert a U.S. default.

But what does that have to do with SNAP? Well, as part of that deal, Congress agreed to several changes to the program.

The first thing it did was raised the age limit for people who are subject to the work requirements that we mentioned above. Remember, the work requirement now applies to 18- to 49-year-olds without kids. But Congress raised that age to 54 and will phase in the change over several years.

Here’s how that timeline will work:

In September 2023, 18- to 50-year-olds without kids in the home will be subject to work requirements.
In October 2023, 18- to 52-year-olds without kids in the home will be subject to work requirements.
In October 2024, 18- to 54-year-olds without kids in the home will be subject to work requirements.

More people are exempt

Right now, there are a few exemptions to the work requirements, like if you are pregnant, a college student, or have a disability. As part of the debt ceiling deal, Congress added exemptions from the work requirements. Those now include: