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Thousands in Connecticut could lose SNAP benefits under new Trump administration work requirements

HARTFORD — Thousands of people in our state could soon be losing food stamps under new regulations from the Trump administration. The Trump Administration...

HARTFORD -- Thousands of people in our state could soon be losing food stamps under new regulations from the Trump administration.

The Trump Administration is tightening work requirements for some who receive food stamps.

Under the new requirements, able-bodied people between the ages 18 and 49 would have to work at least 20 hours a week to qualify for food stamps.

Previously, the state could create a waiver for areas that have higher unemployment rates, but they may no longer be able to.

“States could say we have an area with an incredibly high unemployment rate, three months is just not realistic. It might be twice the national average of unemployment in that area," End Hunger Connecticut Executive Director, Robin Lamott Sparks explained. "States could apply for waivers for specific areas to allow people to have benefits longer, this is going to shrink the ability for states to do that."

FOX61 spoke with one Hartford woman who said it’s already hard enough to live off of the benefits she receives and eliminating them for some would only make things more difficult.

“We don’t get that much and even without income we still don’t get enough food stamps. The rent is a lot, the rent here is too much it’s not gonna go to food,” she said.

As for how many people this is going to affect, the state is still trying to figure that out.

“According to folks I talked to, at a maximum it could be 25,000 to 26,000 people who lose benefits, it could be lower," Lamott said. "It’s hard to know at this point because all of the data hasn’t been analyzed or even distributed yet.”

These changes take affect on April 1st.

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