Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Friday 6 March 2020

Food stamp change fuels anxiety as states try to curb impact

By SOPHIA TAREEN ban Institute, a nonprofit
CHICAGO (AP) — Having research organization. “If
food stamps offers Richard people can work and con-
Butler a stability he’s rarely sistently, they pretty much
known in his 25 years. He are.”
was in state custody at age Some states are focusing
2, spent his teen years at a on rural areas, which have
Chicago boys’ home and less access to transporta-
jail for burglary, and has tion and services.
since struggled to find a Hawaii, for instance, wants
permanent home. to develop a pilot pro-
The $194 deposited month- gram to help 400 Molokai
ly on his benefits card buys residents keep benefits.
fresh produce and meat. The rural island once had a
“It means the world to me,” waiver because of high un-
said Butler, who shares a employment, but the new
one-bedroom apartment rules assign Molokai to the
with two others. “We can same job market as near-
go without a lot of things, by, more prosperous Maui,
like phones and music. We even though a 30-minute
can’t go without eating.” plane ride is the only way to
But that stability is being travel between the islands.
threatened for people like The program would use ed-
Butler, who are able-bod- In this Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020, photo, Richard Butler poses for a portrait in an apartment that a ucation, training and vol-
ied, without dependents friend is letting him and his fiance live in on Chicago's Southside. unteering to fulfill the work
and between the ages 18 Associated Press requirement. It’s modeled
and 49. New Trump ad- after similar programs used
ministration rules taking ef- people of color. Currently, work-eligible, people in the state.” in remote Alaska, which
fect April 1 put hundreds Social service agencies able-bodied adults with- Pennsylvania — where as is seeking waivers for less-
of thousands of people in say they won’t be able out dependents under 50 many as 100,000 people populated areas. Roughly
his situation at risk of losing to fill the gap, making in- can receive monthly ben- could be affected — is 5,000 in Alaska could lose
their benefits. They hit par- creased homelessness and efits if they meet a 20-hour working with social servic- benefits.
ticularly hard in places like more hospital visits among weekly work, job training or es groups to create 30 job Attorneys general in nearly
Illinois, which also is deal- the biggest concerns. Ex- school requirement. Those training programs for SNAP 20 states and Washington,
ing with a separate, simi- perts say they’ve already who don’t are are limited recipients. D.C., have sued to block
lar change in the nation’s seen troubling signs in some to three months of food However, experts say work the rules. They argue the
third-largest city. states. stamps over three years. opportunities are limited. changes will force people
From Hawaii to Pennsylva- “This is a cascading ef- However, states with high More than half of SNAP re- to divert their limited funds,
nia, states are scrambling fect,” said Robert Camp- unemployment or few jobs cipients have a high school leading to homelessness
to blunt the impact of the bell, managing director at have been able to waive diploma, but about one- and health problems.
new rules, with roughly Feeding America, a net- time limits. Every state ex- quarter have less, accord- People with food insecurity
700,000 people at risk of work of hundreds of food cept Delaware has sought ing to the Center on Bud- spend 45% more on medi-
losing benefits unless they banks nationwide. “It will a waiver at some point, get and Policy Priorities. cal care annually than
meet certain work, train- increase demands on the according to the National Available jobs are more those who are food secure,
ing or school requirements. emergency food system, Conference of State Legis- likely to have low pay, shift- according to a 2018 report
They’ve filed a multi-state food banks and pantries.” latures. ing schedules that might by the nonprofit Center on
lawsuit, expanded publicly Richard Butler and his fian- The new rules make it hard- not offer enough qualifying Budget and Policy Priorities.
funded job training, devel- cee, Amber, laugh while er to get waivers. They’re hours and few benefits like Experts say critics’ worries
oped pilot programs and they have breakfast in an the first of three changes paid sick leave. are founded and point to
doubled down efforts to apartment a friend is let- to the Supplemental Nutri- “Work requirements really Kentucky as a case study.
reach vulnerable commu- ting them live in on Chica- tion Assistance Program, or don’t really do much to Like a handful of states,
nities, including the home- go's Southside. (AP Photo/ SNAP, which feeds 36 mil- affect the rate at which Kentucky has voluntarily in-
less, rural residents and Charles Rex Arbogast) lion people nationwide. people are working,” said stated time limits for SNAP
The Trump administration Elaine Waxman at the Ur- benefits since 2017. q
has touted the change as a
way to get people working
and save $5.5 billion over
five years. Able-bodied
adults without dependents
are 7% of SNAP recipients.
But states fighting the
change say that argument
is misguided.
“Not everyone is in a posi-
tion to get a job tomorrow,
and taking away access to
food is only going to make
that more difficult,” said
Pennsylvania Department
In this Jan. 29, 2020, photo, chef Samara Henderson checks a of Human Services Secre- This Jan. 29, 2020, photo shows a sign on a table at Inspiration
lunch order paper at Inspiration Kitchens in Chicago. tary Teresa Miller. “We’re Kitchens in Chicago.
Associated Press going to have more hungry Associated Press