As the prices of groceries, gas, and other necessities soar, many Minnesotans are navigating new requirements for accessing food assistance. Beginning this month, more Minnesotans are being subjected to work requirements in order to receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps.

Work Requirements

Adults under the age of 65 are now required to work or volunteer at least 80 hours a month to receive benefits. Previously, adults 55 and older were exempt from working or volunteering. The law also eliminates work exemptions for parents who have children between the ages of 14 and 18, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and youth leaving foster care.

About 18,000 Minnesotans in an average month are expected to be impacted by the new work requirements, according to the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families. Food banks and food shelves are seeing an increase in demand for food, with many people struggling to afford basic necessities.

Impact on Food Banks

Food banks and food shelves are reporting a rise in demand for food, with many people seeking assistance for the first time. The work requirements are having a chilling effect on people who might be eligible for SNAP, with many choosing not to apply due to the complexity of the process.

Local food shelves are encountering more people who have never needed to come to the food shelf before, with some reporting an increase of 75 to 100 new visitors per week. The amount of money that recipients receive from SNAP depends on their income, with the average amount a Minnesota recipient receives being about $6 a day per person.

The rising costs of groceries, gas, and other living expenses due to inflation are causing these dollars not to stretch as far. Food shelf leaders say that before, people could make it work with what they had, but now they are having to make tough decisions about what to pay for and what not to pay for.

Original reporting: Sahan Journal — read the source article.