Connecticut must step in before more people lose their food
The federal government keeps complicating how people apply for SNAP. The program used to help about 400,000 people in Connecticut pay for food. But new, unfair rules from the federal government – in addition to budget cuts – have already taken it away from some families, and more than 50,000 people are at risk of losing it. In some towns, one in four people who use SNAP will be kicked off.
There’s been a lot of talk about unnecessary and cruel federal work requirements making people lose their food, with a lot of focus (rightfully) on the fact that many people who have SNAP do work, and that there are very good reasons why not everyone can.
But there’s been less talk about how changes to paperwork, including around work requirements, will really hurt people, too.
New federal changes mean people will need to re-apply for SNAP more often. That, combined with interviews and additional paperwork required to prove work and school, will be overwhelming for many people.The paperwork can be confusing if you haven’t done it before. The state now has to juggle all that new paperwork and work while also receiving less money from the federal government for SNAP. People will slip through the cracks unless Connecticut steps in now.
Barbara, who lives in Bristol, lost SNAP when her caseworker made a mistake on her application.
“The restrictive nature of the application process itself is a humiliating experience for those in need,” Barbara said.
About half of people calling DSS hang up before talking to someone because the wait is too long – often more than 40 minutes. While the state is working to cut those times down, most people don’t have the time to wait, and the new rules are expected to make wait times longer.
Many people who qualified for SNAP even before federal changes didn’t apply because the process took too long, according to new information from Connecticut Project grantee DataHaven.
Most people who have stopped using SNAP in the last five years left the program because their financial situation improved. But more than one in 10 people (11%) stopped getting SNAP because they said the application or recertification process was too difficult, and for 6% of people they said the money and benefits weren’t worth the work of reapplying. Waiting on the phone for hours for a SNAP eligibility interview, or having to take the time to track down lots of paperwork, can mean missing out on income from a job – money that people can’t afford to lose.
That’s only going to get worse with new federal changes.
SNAP is a lifeline. Making it harder to apply and stay on it will hurt people across Connecticut.
“I only receive $24 [a month], but every little bit helps,” J., in Bridgeport, told us. “I’m disabled and not able to go to food banks.”
The state has more information on how to apply for SNAP and what type of documentation you’ll need to provide to meet the new rules.
But, Connecticut has to make it easier to apply and renew SNAP. Confusing rules and long wait times make it harder than it should be to get help.
For some people, losing SNAP doesn’t only mean less food on the table. It also means they could lose their chance at a better future for themselves and their families.
Catherine, who lives in East Hartford, applied for SNAP after losing her job.
“It’s the only money I have towards food,” she told us, adding that it only pays for about 20 days worth of groceries each month if she eats two meals a day.
She’s using CTPathways, a training available for people who use SNAP, to train to become a social worker. She expects to lose both SNAP and her access to CTPathways because of the changes to SNAP work requirements.
“Not having access to CTPathways and having the opportunity to change careers means I will not be able to pay it forward and help others as these programs have helped me,” she told us.
Connecticut has seen this happen before. When dozens of Connecticut towns were mandated by the federal government to enforce similar work requirements in 2016, 25% of people on SNAP lost their coverage. People with chronic health conditions were more likely to lose their benefits than people without a chronic condition, and many people who lost their benefits were already working, pursuing their education, or volunteering. Overall, about one in five people on SNAP work. Changes will hurt hardworking people who are trying to put dinner on the table because of the extra paperwork and administrative steps involved discourages people from renewing their benefits, or puts them off applying for the help they qualify for.
People in Connecticut are concerned about their communities losing access to food. Of those surveyed by DataHaven, 67% – more than two in three people – said they were worried people will have trouble buying groceries because of the changes to SNAP. More than half said the government isn’t providing enough help with SNAP for people to afford food.
Our state has to make it easy for people to get clear information, have simple ways to fill out their paperwork and prove work/volunteer/school hours, and keep their benefits.
Lawmakers are meeting now to discuss new bills. The time to address SNAP cuts is now – the state can’t afford for more people to lose their food when they have the power and money to help now. Lawmakers must use the $300 million left in the state’s emergency response fund to create a transitional benefits fund to help people get back on their feet so they have more time to get the necessary paperwork together.
Take action now to tell the state to protect access to SNAP.