Advocates Fear Food Stamp Requirement Will Affect Food Banks

Advocates say West Virginia’s plan to make food stamp recipients meet a work or training requirement could increase the burden of food banks.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that the state Department of Health and Human Resources announced last year that it would reinstate a requirement calling on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients to meet a monthly work or training requirement of 20 hours per week or lose benefits. The changes took effect in January.

Chad Morrison, executive director of the Mountaineer Food Bank, says the changes will discourage people from applying for SNAP and the burden of supplying additional hunger relief would subsequently fall on food banks.

The Department of Health and Human Resources says there are fewer than 7,000 recipients who are most at risk of losing benefits.