Here’s how to navigate new SNAP requirements in Pa.
New work requirements started this month for certain SNAP users, They will apply to a larger group in November.
Pennsylvania has a new website for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), where users can navigate recent changes.
On Sept. 1, new work requirements went into effect for some SNAP users, and others will face new requirements starting in November. The changes were passed with the federal budget bill this summer.
Nearly half a million people in Philadelphia use SNAP benefits.
“Programs like SNAP exist to help people meet the basic need of putting food on their tables so that they can live and thrive,” said Val Arkoosh, Pennsylvania secretary of the Department of Human Services. “These new requirements put in place by Republicans in Washington, D.C., jeopardize this critical resource by creating burdensome red tape for people needing food.”
Pennsylvania’s new website helps users understand if they are impacted by the work requirement changes, how to meet them if so, and whether they qualify for an exemption.
Arkoosh said Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration “is committed to helping Pennsylvanians through this change and, where possible, minimizing the dangerous impacts of congressional Republicans limiting access to food assistance for Pennsylvanians.”
What is changing?
Some SNAP recipients are now required to report at least 20 hours of work, training, or volunteering per week, or 80 hours per month, to keep their benefits.
This applies to SNAP users between the ages of 18 and 54 who are able to work and don’t support a dependent child under the age of 18.
If they don’t meet the work requirement, they will receive only three months of SNAP benefits in a three-year period.
Work is to be reported to the state Department of Human Services and those who are employed can submit a pay stub to show it. Those who are in training or volunteer programs can use forms available on the state’s new website.
More SNAP users must meet the same requirement starting on Nov. 1. That will include people between 18 and 64 years old who don’t have a child they support younger than 14 years old.
Exemptions exist for SNAP recipients who are pregnant, need to stay home to care for someone who is ill or disabled, or are participating in a treatment program for drugs or alcohol.
On Nov. 1, some other exemptions, including for veterans and people experiencing homelessness, are set to end.
SNAP users who have questions about how to report their hours under the new modifications can reach out to their caseworker at the Department of Human Services or the customer service center statewide phone number at 1-877-395-8930. Those in Philadelphia can call the local line at 215-560-7226.