Food stamp changes coming

Roughly 688,000 fewer people will receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, or food stamps, under new regulations. U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced plans Wednesday that will limit the employment requirement exemptions states can give to adults who can work. The change could save around $5.5 billion over five years, the Agriculture Department estimated.

Who will be affected? Some states with high unemployment rates waive the three-month limit for able-bodied adults ages 18 to 49 to receive SNAP benefits if they aren’t working. The new rule only allows states to issue such waivers if its unemployment rate is 6 percent or higher, and only for one year. The final rule will go into effect in April.

Dig deeper: Read Charissa Koh’s report in Compassion about the Agriculture Department’s initial proposal in January.