"On Oct. 3, the federal agency that oversees SNAP announced it would hasten that timeline by terminating waivers that have allowed dozens of states, including New York, to largely suspend work requirements. Those requirements limit recipients to three months of SNAP benefits over a three-year period, unless they continually certify they have worked, volunteered, or studied in school at least 80 hours per month."
"Research shows work requirements do little to raise employment rates and often result in eligible recipients losing their benefits due to paperwork errors, processing delays, and the time it takes to gather and submit the right documentation. They also significantly expand the workloads of the agencies responsible for reviewing that paperwork. In New York, the task of verifying eligibility and administering SNAP benefits falls to already strained county social service departments."
A federal decision will end waivers that allowed states to suspend SNAP work requirements, moving New York’s enforcement date from late February to early November. The accelerated timeline could force the state to apply three-month benefit limits to many recipients within weeks. Expanded work rules require recipients to certify 80 hours per month of work, volunteering, or study to remain eligible. Evidence shows work requirements rarely increase employment and often cause eligible people to lose benefits because of paperwork errors, processing delays, and documentation burdens. County social service departments will face increased verification workloads.
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