SNAP rules keep many hungry

Media outlets have been widely covering the oneyear anniversary of the Trump presidency, including the Associated Press article “Plenty of change in Trump’s first year” in last Saturday’s Dispatch. The anniversary has been perhaps appropriately symbolized by a brief government shutdown.

Another, less recognized anniversary took place this month in Ohio. Four years ago, the state of Ohio elected to reinstate work requirements for unemployed adults without dependents receiving SNAP (food stamp) benefits.

Four years later, nearly 350,000 fewer Ohioans are receiving food stamps. Some of that is a sign of slow economic recovery finally reaching low-income households. Much more of it is a sign that the work requirements have been next to impossible to comply with for workers with limited skills seeking consistent employment in a low-wage, temporary and contingent market. Plus, aside from limited exceptions like our partnership with the Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services, most unemployed adults have no access to worktraining opportunities.

Now, Congress is signaling it wants to further limit access to food stamps. Make no mistake: cutting spending on a nutrition program that keeps kids, people with disabilities, low-wage workers and older adults from going hungry is bad governing. Let’s hope a year from now we won’t be reflecting on what the foodstamp program used to be.

Lisa Hamler-Fugitt Executive director Ohio Association of Foodbanks Columbus