Requirements for SNAP benefits to be tightened

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)-  Some may soon lose their SNAP benefits due to new federal rules.

The potential loss of benefits for some is because of the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill back in July. 

It tightened requirements for SNAP benefits for adults from 18 to 65 without disabilities or children under the age of 14.

The new rules require these recipients to work at least 20 hours per week, or else lose their benefits.

Jeannie Carpenter of the Chattanooga Area Food Bank believes this will put more people in a grey area where they can’t afford groceries.

Carpenter said, “SNAP is critical to keeping our rural grocery stores open, or if you live in a food desert and you have that one grocery store, those kinds of people spending their SNAP benefits are what are able to keep those grocery stores in the black and open in those communities.”

She says there could be serious consequences to this.

Carpenter said, “There’s always a risk that folks don’t have access to SNAP, don’t have jobs that pay them enough to access or spend the same amount in stores. So we could be facing a food shortage, even for those of us don’t use these benefits.”

These consequences potentially extend further.

Carpenter said, “We see a lot of households who make too much money to be on the SNAP program, but not enough to make ends meet, and by removing SNAP from some other  houses. That’s what they’re going to fall. We’re going to see a lot of in between households… We’re thinking about how we can stretch our dollar to bring in the most amount of food we can to the people who need this help.”

There are a variety of exceptions for mostly health reasons that recipients can claim.

These include pregnancy, being a caretaker for a sick individual, and already receiving benefits for a disability or unemployment among others.

Otherwise, Carpenter advises taking proactive action.

Carpenter said, “Start thinking now, where can you work? Where do you have transportation to get to? Where might they hire you with your skillset? Also keep in mind that if you can’t find a job for 20 hours a week, find a nonprofit where you can volunteer for 20 hours a week, that can also count towards your workplace requirements so you stay eligible.”

If you need to claim any of these exceptions, you can do so on the Tennessee Department of Human Services’ website by October 31.