Washington, D.C. — Congress is slated to reauthorize the farm bill this year, an opportunity to make changes to a host of agriculture and food programs. A new Center for American Progress article calls on Congress to include enhancements and essential fixes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s Employment and Training program (SNAP E&T) in the 2023 Farm Bill.
Right now, the SNAP E&T program’s temporary job training programs have left SNAP participants across the country with reduced benefits before their training is complete or have cut their access to SNAP entirely. In fact, this article finds that a SNAP participant in a work-based learning program who earns $11.75 per hour and has a child can completely lose their benefits and access to SNAP E&T by working 40 hours per week. To close these gaps and help SNAP E&T evolve to best support participants, this new CAP article outlines three recommendations for Congress to consider in the 2023 Farm Bill. These recommendations include:
- Disregard income earned from E&T activities when determining eligibility for SNAP benefits.
- Increase 100 percent funding and raise the reimbursement rate from 50 percent to 100 percent for the SNAP E&T program.
- Expand access to technical assistance to enhance lines of communication and make it easier for E&T providers to navigate the program.
“SNAP E&T can and should be more than just a way to fulfill a work requirement. It has the potential to be the start of a new livelihood for people with significant barriers to employment,” said Kyle Ross, research associate for Inclusive Economy at CAP and author of the article. “Congress should make it easier for this program to grow and flourish so that SNAP recipients can reap its full benefits.”
Read the article: “Congress Must Include SNAP Employment and Training Improvements in the 2023 Farm Bill” by Kyle Ross
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